Update: Second Victim Dies After Early Morning House Fire In Boise City

Press release from the City of Boise:

January 17, 2021

Update: The adult female victim who escaped the house fire on W. Lemhi St. and was taken to the hospital Friday morning has died from her injuries. Our hearts go out to the family and friends of both victims. Their identities will be released by the Ada County Coroner.

Update: The investigation into this morning’s house fire on the 2800 block of W. Lemhi St. is complete. The fire started in the living room and the official cause is classified as accidental, ignited by smoking materials and exacerbated by the presence of medical oxygen. There were also no working smoke detectors found in the home.

The Boise Fire Department reminds residents to never smoke where medical oxygen is used because it can cause materials to ignite more easily and make fires burn at a faster rate than normal.

Tragedies like this can be prevented through the installation of smoke alarms on every level of your home and by testing them routinely. For more tips on smoke alarm installation and maintenance please visit https://www.cityofboise.org/de...

At 3:56 a.m. the Boise Fire Department, the Boise Police Department and Ada County Paramedics responded to a house fire on the 2800 block of W. Lemhi Street. When first responders arrived, there was heavy fire coming from inside the house and one resident had been able to escape on their own. Boise Police officers immediately began evacuating neighbors and closing the road. Boise firefighters quickly entered the home and rescued a second resident. Ada County Paramedics rushed both victims to the hospital. Sadly, the adult victim rescued from the home succumbed to his injuries and was later pronounced deceased.

It took fire crews about 40 minutes to control the fire which extended throughout the main floor and into hard to reach areas in the roof. There was also a large amount of debris inside the home as well as multiple oxygen tanks which caused small explosions. Two firefighters received minor injuries and a dog and a cat passed away as a result of the fire.

Boise Fire and Boise Police are investigating the cause of the fire and that investigation is ongoing. The identity of the victim will be released by the Ada County Coroner.

The home did have smoke detectors. The Boise Fire Department reminds residents to install smoke alarms on every level of your home and test them routinely. For more tips on smoke alarm installation and maintenance please visit https://www.cityofboise.org/de...

This press release was produced by the City of Boise. The views expressed here are the author’s own.