Boise & Garden City

Tuesday wildfire in Boise Foothills near Lucky Peak State Park human-caused, BLM says

A grass fire in the Foothills north of Boise grew to 17 acres before crews got it fully controlled on Wednesday evening.
A grass fire in the Foothills north of Boise grew to 17 acres before crews got it fully controlled on Wednesday evening. Bureau of Land Management Boise Fire

A wildfire in the Boise Foothills north of Lucky Peak State Park on Tuesday night was, in fact, human-caused and not the result of lightning, the Bureau of Land Management announced Thursday.

The Homestead Fire was halted at 17 acres, the federal agency also announced, bumping up the total by a couple of acres after further investigation and mapping of the hillside that was first reported ablaze Tuesday at about 7:25 p.m. Fire crews contained the fire by midnight, and fully controlled it by 6 p.m. Wednesday, BLM said.

Although initially thought by fire investigators to be triggered by a lightning strike in the days before the fire started, it is now considered human-caused, though BLM said Thursday that the specific cause remains under investigation.

A grass fire on Bureau of Land Management property north of Boise, above the Dallas Harris Estates in Harris Ranch, was reported at 7:25 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022. Fire crews contained the slow moving blaze at 15 acres at midnight Wednesday.
A grass fire on Bureau of Land Management property north of Boise, above the Dallas Harris Estates in Harris Ranch, was reported at 7:25 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022. Fire crews contained the slow moving blaze at 15 acres at midnight Wednesday. Courtesy Christopher Sanchez

Firefighters with BLM, the Idaho Department of Lands, Boise Fire and Eagle Fire responded Tuesday night. The total firefighting resources across the four agencies included nine fire engines, a bulldozer, two battalion chiefs, a safety officer and a fire investigator.

This story was originally published September 22, 2022 at 6:37 PM.

Kevin Fixler
Idaho Statesman
Kevin Fixler is an investigative reporter with the Idaho Statesman and a three-time Idaho Print Reporter of the Year. He holds degrees from the University of Denver and UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism. Support my work with a digital subscription
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