Tuesday evening brush fire in Boise Foothills burns acres north of Lucky Peak State Park
Update: Fire investigators have since found this wildfire to be human caused.
A grass fire on open space land north of Boise grew to 15 acres Tuesday evening before fire crews contained the slow-moving blaze, likely ignited by lightning.
The vegetation fire, located in the Boise Foothills north of Lucky Peak State Park above East Warm Springs Avenue, was reported at about 7:25 p.m. Tuesday, Jared Jablonski, spokesperson for the Bureau of Land Management’s Boise Fire unit, told the Idaho Statesman by phone. It started on BLM land, he said.
The wildlands fire, named the Homestead Fire, did not threaten any structures as it traveled away from the city, the Boise Fire Department reported, which also responded with resources. Lightning in the days before was the suspected cause.
“There was some brush within what burned and it appears lightning hit the brush, and it stayed smoldering a day or two,” Jablonski said. “We’re not sure what day when the lightning came through, and it appears it was holding over in the brush, and the sun hit or whatever and dried it out, and a day or two later it popped back up and started everything else on fire.”
Firefighting crews with the Bureau of Land Management, Idaho Department of Lands and Eagle Fire, as well as Boise Fire, worked to contain the fire at midnight Wednesday, Jablonski said. In total across the four agencies, nine fire engines, a bulldozer, two battalion chiefs, a safety officer and a fire investigator responded.
Full control of the fire was expected around noon Wednesday, BLM said.
This story was originally published September 21, 2022 at 12:06 PM.
