MERIDIAN, IDAHO — A vegetation fire on Tuesday at the intersection of Eagle Road and Victory Road was supposedly sparked by a chain motor lawn mower being used to cut weeds.
- 911 call was made at 1:38 pm.
- Boise Fire and Meridian Fire responded to the seen.
- Flames were controlled in under 5 minutes.
- One good Samaritan driving down Eagle Road turned into the subdivision and was caught on Ring Doorbell cam knocking on doors telling homeowners about the flames.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
A vegetation fire sparked Tuesday afternoon near the intersection of Eagle and Victory. I'm your neighbor reporter Alexander Huddleston and I spoke with a few neighbors who were only feet away from losing their homes.
A close call for neighbors near the Boise-Meridian border Tuesday afternoon, as fire crews from both cities responded to a vegetation fire they believe started from a lawn mower.
"We had a crew out here mowing the high grass, adjacent to an assisted living facility. within a couple of passes of the dry grass, the grass caught on fire and burned a considerable amount of fencing dividing the property off here on the location," said Meridian Fire Battalion Chief Tyler Roundtree.
The mower in question operated on a chain that Battalion Chief Roundtree believes may have sparked the fire that scorched half of the field as well as fencing along the property lines nearby.
"I heard a sound. It almost sounded like a windstorm. So I open my blinds a little bit and I see a wall of smoke and some fire coming in," said neighbor Brady Williamson.
Williamson, a neighbor whose house backed up to the flames, then alerted his father who immediately jumped up and started spraying their fence down with water to help salvage what was left.
However, many neighbors say they were alerted by a good Samaritan who made the initial 911 call and then proceeded to drive through the neighborhood alerting homeowners of the flames.
Neighbors say she even kicked one door in to allow a few pets to escape. Many are thankful for the unidentified driver.
Meridian Fire says landowners should not plan on mowing a dry plot of land during the dry weather. If it needs to happen please be ready and able to put out a spark.
