The fire that burned 66 homes in Pocatello in June was human caused. Bannock County Sheriff Lorin Nielsen says whoever started the Charlotte Fire doesn’t even know.
The sheriff believes there was no criminal intent. Nielsen says a spark from a dragging chain on the road could have started it. He says this fire could have been prevented by being aware and taking precautions with such dry conditions.
“When you’re heading up to the recreational areas or when you’re heading out and you’ve got your trailer on the back or if you’ve got a muffler that’s dragging and you think, ‘One of these days I’m going to fix it,’ that could cause a very catastrophic fire,” Nielsen says. “And so we just want people to be aware of that and be able to be cautious of that.”
The investigation is now closed on the cause of the fire. Nielsen says there've been rumors that fireworks or arson were the cause. That, he says, is simply not true and he hopes put those rumors to rest.
Nielsen says damage has cost $12 million so far. That number is climbing. “We as public safety want to evaluate and learn as many lessons as we can from this so that we can do a better job if and when it happens again,” Nielsen says.
Nielsen puts the Charlotte Fire as one of the worst fires he’s seen since coming to Pocatello in the late 1970s.