Crews Make Headway Against Range Fires Investigators Begin Inquiry Into Death Of 2 Volunteers

Nearly 300 firefighters backed up by helicopters dumping water and chemical retardant contained two major Idaho range fires Monday night while a federal investigating team began its probe into the deaths last week of two volunteers in a major blaze south of Boise.

The Tuana Fire on the high desert about 60 miles west of Twin Falls had covered more than 90,000 acres into the rocky rim of the Bruneau River Canyon.

That fire, sparked by lightning from a storm that crossed southern Idaho late last week, was fueled by hip-high cheatgrass.

About 160 firefighters were committed to the blaze.

The rest of the crews were fighting the 29,000-acre Twin Butte Fire just to the east. That fire was 75 percent contained, and land managers hoped to have it fully contained today.

Neither blaze threatened any buildings, although the Tuana Fire burned valuable antelope and bighorn sheep habitat in the Bruneau River Canyon area.

Scores of other fires were also ignited across southern and central Idaho by the storm, but rapid response from fire crews throughout the state had all of them at least contained if not out on Monday.

Meanwhile, the team of investigators began its inquiry into the circumstances leading up to Friday night’s death of Bill Buttram, 31, and Josh Oliver, 18, two Kuna volunteer firemen who were killed when their water tanker stalled on the desert south of Boise and was overrun by windswept flames.

The team began interviewing eye-witnesses to the incident and planned to look at the site about 25 miles south of Boise. Their investigation will be completed within 45 days and the report, including any recommendations, will be forwarded to Bureau of Land Management Director Michael Dombeck.

“We want to prevent things like this from happening again, and if we can learn from the experience, we hope that is what they come up with,” said Don Smirthwaite of the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise.