Over the weekend, a small crew of Blackfoot firefighters, with the help of volunteers and off-duty personnel, tackled a dangerous structure fire in under 30 minutes despite minimal staffing. The emergency began on Saturday afternoon, October 25. A Blackfoot Fire Department Ambulance was heading to Blackfoot from Rockford on Highway 39 to provide coverage, as multiple other ambulances were out on calls. While driving, the crew suddenly spotted a column of smoke and flames coming from a shop building near the highway.
Due to heavy demands on the department from ongoing ambulance calls, Engine 3 was dispatched with only one firefighter on board. In the critical opening minutes of the operation, BFD says there were only three firefighters on scene. Despite these challenging odds, the crew’s actions were fast and decisive, bringing the fire under control within 30 minutes of the initial call. This was largely due to the help of multiple off-duty and volunteer firefighters, along with a water tender from the Fort Hall Fire Department, says BFD.
