Fire Consumes Almost Entire Town of Howe, Idaho

A fire in the small town of Howe, Idaho -about 70 miles outside of Idaho Falls - raged out of control this past October, leaving most of the downtown in a pile of ashes. The fire started in an abandoned café and quickly spread to 6 surrounding buildings. Among the few buildings saved were the local church and school.

Although the cause of the fire is still unknown, the rapid spread of the flames can be attributed to 60mph winds and an aging downtown whose wooden buildings couldn’t resist ignition.

Howe, Idaho is a town so isolated from outsiders that it took 30 minutes for the first firefighter from the Idaho National Laboratory to arrive on the scene. Locals were limited to battling the flames with buckets of water and garden hoses until professionals could take control of the situation. Police in the area helped homeowners defend their houses from flying embers and flaming tumbleweeds that were flung at them by the gale force winds.

Late October is not a time when the people of Howe, Idaho would typically be concerned about the threat of fire or high winds, but unfortunately there is never a time when it is safe to let your guard down. Eastern Idaho is regularly exposed to wildfire, so people in the town knew how to deal with a fast approaching grassfire, but were caught off guard when the flames originated within city limits. Much of the disaster could have been avoided if homes in the center of town followed Firewise regulations that could have protected them from ignition. It is a common misconception that your home is safe from wildfire if you don’t live near the Wildland-Urban Interface(WUI).

Currently the future is unclear for Howe. The 6 buildings that were destroyed are not going to be replaced; the owners are cutting their losses and moving elsewhere. Although the loss of 6 buildings doesn’t sound like much, to a town with only 2 full-time residents and 175 living just outside city limits this fire was absolutely devastating. It is still not known if Howe, Idaho will rise from the ashes, or if this fire will be the last chapter in the towns story.

If you would like more information on how to protect your home from the threat of wildfire check out http://www.idahofirewise.org/homeowners/  for tips and recommendations from fire professionals and landscaping experts.

Source:

http://www.nwcn.com/news/idaho/174705311.html