UPDATE (10/14): A report from the Idaho Department of Lands concluded that Idaho Power equipment was the cause of the Valley Fire. The report said a cross arm on an Idaho Power pole broke and likely caused an energized wire to touch the ground.
Idaho Power released this information in a statement on Monday. The Idaho Department of Lands later sent the full report, which you can read below.
"The report found no evidence of rot or bug infestation and no visible alterations to the cross arm other than those necessary to support the line," Idaho Power wrote in the statement. "Idaho Power inspected this line three times this year, including the cross arm that appears to have broken, and no issues were noted in either ground or helicopter inspections."
Investigators with the Idaho Department of Lands wrote in their report that when they arrived, they could see an electrical transmission line down and it appeared to be intact, but the crossarm and brace were broken on the north side of the pole.
The investigators began an examination of the area and Hough Rae, a safety coordinator with Idaho Power arrived on scene.
Rae said told investigators he could provide information on the pole and service interruption history, saying the line was de-energized but not yet grounded. Grounding in this context is a process to "provide a pathway for excess or fault current to flow safely to the earth, preventing electric shocks, fires or damage to the equipment," according to the report.
The Valley Fire has burned 9,904 acres and is 79% contained. The Robie Creek area is still in a "Ready" or stage one evacuation status, but no structures have been burned.
All roads and trails on the Boise facing segment of the Boise River WMA west of Highway 21 and north of Warm Springs are closed until further notice.
UPDATE (10/8, 8:30 a.m.): Nevada Team 2 took command of the Valley Fire Monday night, bringing additional resources to the firefighting effort.
The Valley Fire has burned 9,892 acres and is 66% contained, as of Monday night. Pre-evacuation notices are still in effect for residents on Warm Springs Ave. from E. Sky Bar St., east to Highway 21 and all residents on Highland Valley Road.
The fire was visible overnight from Bois as it burned in mostly grassy fuels on the Boise Foothills front. Crews are making progress on the north, northeast and southeast signs, strengthening containment lines and mopping up hot spots.
UPDATE (10/7, 8:30 a.m.): The Valley Fire has burned 9,412 acres as of Sunday night and is 33% contained, according to Bureau of Land Management Idaho Fire.
166 people are working the fire, both on the ground and in the air. There is dense timber and steep terrain on the east side of the fire, which makes fighting it more difficult, but crews saw "notable progress" on Sunday.
The overnight plans were to continue strengthening containment lines on the west and east sides of the fire. Crews were also giving extra attention hot spots, so they don't reignite.
The Boise Fire Department confirmed no structures have been lost and there have been no reported injuries.
"I’m very proud of our firefighters who worked alongside our local and federal partners. This had the potential to be much worse, but the operational plan was executed very well," said Fire Chief Mark Niemeyer in a post on Facebook.
UPDATE (10/5, 11:15 a.m.): The Valley Fire continues to burn in east Boise, now at an estimated 7,871 acres according to Watch Duty.
Crews worked through the night on containment lines on the north, northwest and southwest flanks of the fire, despite challenges presented by heavy timber.
Today, teams were focused on strengthening those containment lines and will continue to mop up hot spots. Aircraft, dozers, engines and hand crews are working on those containment efforts.
Cooler temperatures and light winds are expected throughout the day. BLM says there is a possibility that Highway 21 could close this afternoon due to fire activity and a notice will be sent out in advance.
Residents in the Robie Creek area are in "set" status and those in the Wilderness Ranch area are in "ready" status. These haven't changed since Friday.
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UPDATE (5:10 p.m.): Fire activity will continue in the area of Warm Springs Ave. and between Wild Horse Lane/Table Rock Road and Highway 21 tonight.
Boise Fire said it will notify those in the appropriate areas using CodeRED.
“This fire, while challenging all of our agencies operationally, has also demonstrated the strong relationships with our mutual partners. I am proud of our Boise firefighters, for working so well together in an effort to keep our community safe,” said Boise Fire Chief Mark Niemeyer. “I’d also like to express my gratitude to our partner fire agencies in the valley for providing additional personnel to support our response area while our crews are engaged in fighting this fire, ensuring that emergency coverage in the city remains intact.”
The fire is estimated at over 4,000 acres, according to NIFC.
UPDATE (2:20 p.m.): The Valley Fire has now burned approximately 3,500 acres east of Boise. No evacuations have been issued yet, but residents in the Robie Creek area are in "Set" status and the Wilderness Ranch area is in "Ready."
Notices are being sent out using the CodeRED system. If you have not signed up yet, you can do so (free) online.
UPDATE (12:30 p.m.): The Boise Fire Department provided an update just before 12 p.m., saying the fire has jumped the fire line and additional "SET" notifications have been sent out.
The Council Springs, Trapper PI and Foxgrove neighborhoods should be prepared to evacuate, with emergency items packed and ready to go.
The fire has now burned over 2,000 acres and is 2% contained, according to the Watch Duty Wildfire Maps app.
ORIGINAL STORY: A new fire was called in around 4:15 a.m. Friday morning has burned more than 25 acres. The Valley Fire is located off Highway 21 and Highland Valley, about one mile east of Boise on the north side of the highway.
Boise Fire posted on Facebook that a pre-evacuation notice has been sent out to residents on Warm Springs, from E. Sky Bar St and all residents on Highland Valley Road. They say not to evacuate until notified to do so.
Highway 21 is currently closed due to the fire, as well as Warm Springs Road to Eckert Road for public and firefighter safety.
The Boise School District also announced on X, formerly known as Twitter, that East Junior High and Dallas Harris Elementary be closed due to the fire.
Boise Fire resources are assigned to structure protection. They have five engines, two brush rigs, one water tender, one battalion chief, one safety officer and one division chief on scene. The Boise District Bureau of Land Management has additional resources on scene, including overhead resources.
This post will be updated as more information becomes available.
