‘A total loss’: 2-story home in Idaho Falls destroyed by fire

IDAHO FALLS — Fire officials are investigating after a house in the foothills south of Idaho Falls was destroyed by fire on Friday morning.

Emergency dispatchers received a report of a structure fire off Saddle Horn Drive shortly after 10:30 a.m., according to a news release from the Idaho Falls Fire Department. The caller told dispatchers the fire started outside and spread to the house.

Upon arrival, fire crews found the back of the two-story home engulfed in flames.

“Even with a response time of just five minutes, the fire had already heavily advanced into the structure due to wind conditions that rapidly escalated the impact of the fire,” the release states.

Firefighters learned that everyone inside had gotten out safely, along with the family dog.

The release says the fire crews initially tried to extinguish the flames from inside, but that soon became too dangerous.

“As the roof and second story became fully engulfed, the structure was compromised again,” the release states, “and firefighters transitioned to a defensive strategy, containing the fire from the exterior.”

They eventually brought the fire under control, but not before the house’s roof collapsed and the back of the home was destroyed.

Fire officials say the home is a total loss, “with damages estimated at approximately $400,000.” The exact cause remains under investigation.

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