By Statesman staff – Idaho Statesman

Ten homes were destroyed and nine homes were damaged by a grass fire that started at Amity and Holcomb roads around 7 p.m., Boise Police spokeswoman Lynn Hightower said. The homes destroyed are on E. Sweetwater Dr. and E. Immigrant Pass Ct.

Currently the fire is not under control but is beginning to calm, Hightower said. Gusty winds are causing spot fires to continue in the area.

Officials say about 41 fire crews are on the scene. Assistance has come from many fire departments throughout the Treasure Valley including Meridian, North Ada County, BLM, Kuna, Star, Melba, Gem County, Payette County, Nampa and Caldwell.

At least 50 homes were evacuated and officials say they are not letting homeowners back in their homes tonight. Displaced families should go to Trail Wind Elementary at 3701 E. Lake Forest Dr. for assistance. City officials are working with the Red Cross to assist those families evacuated.

Boise schools superintendent Dr. Stan Olson said school will open at Trail Wind Elementary and Les Bois Junior High Tuesday morning.

Seven Boise police officers who were taken to local hospitals to be checked for smoke inhalation appear to be OK and are being evaluated. The officers were conducting evacuations of the fire area when they were overcome by smoke. One Boise firefighter is being treated for a laceration on the hand that appears minor and is being transported by Ada County Paramedics to St. Luke’s for treatment.

“This was the perfect storm. We had high winds, high heat and shake roofs. It was jumping from roof to roof,” Doan said.

“Its a nightmare,” said Chris Taylor, who evacuated her home on Immigrant Pass.

Taylor was at work when her son, a senior at Timberline High School, called at about 7 p.m. and said, “Mom, the side of the ridge is on fire. We left and came back and got the dog because we’re not sure we’ll have to evacuate.”

About 15 minutes later he called her back and said, “We have to evacuate.” Taylor said.

“Who told you that?” Taylor asked, and he said, “The fire department.”

The Taylors were able to save photo albums, computers and their two dogs and cat.

When their shake roof caught on fire, Walt Taylor jumped up with a hose and wet it down.

“Wow. Crazy,” he said. “Two houses behind ours just went up.”

The fire department took over for Taylor so he could leave.

While he thinks the house may have been saved, he doesn’t think they’ll be living in it for a while.

Chris Taylor said they plan to spend the night at a friend’s house and wait until morning to see damage.

As residents of the Homestead Rim subdivision saw the fire coming down the ridge toward them, they got out equipment, including a brush hog, and began clearing out brush along the wooden fences that line the neighborhood. Everytime the fire would go further down the ridge, they would retreat, wait until it calmed down then tackled the fire again.

People in the area also turned on sprinklers to wet down the area, doing what they could to act as their own firefighters.

Brian McMaus works at NFIC but also lives in Homestead Rim. He credited his neighbors with saving the subdivision, “They got that line in just in time.”

Just before the fire got close enough to reach their line, Boise firefighters arrived and began cutting a larger line. Trey Glineski, who works for BLM, was driving a bulldozer and took a wide swath of brush out. “The guy went right through that fire with that thing,” said Bruce Fast, a Homestead Rim resident.

Jenifer Pfautsch knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight so she came down to Trailwinds Elementary to help out with the displaced.

She had been celebrating her birthday at home with her kids, when she noticed the dog and cat were acting strange.

Pfautsch opened the window, and smoke came in. They grabbed a few things, but had to leave the cat behind.

There are only two ways out of Columbia Village, and one was blocked off. At one point traffic wasn’t moving, and that was scary, she said.

“You never think when you live in a subdivision with 1,000 homes that you’re going to be evacuated,” Pfautsch said.

The Rowe family moved to a house on E. Aphrodite Drive just 2.5 months ago. Monday evening Kari Rowe got a call from her realtor who said a house they had looked at earlier was on fire.

“Black came up all the way around the yard … But it didn’t cross the fence,” Rowe said. She was standing in the street with her daughter, Kimmie. “I’d rather have a stinky house, than no house,” she said.

Rowe was standing in her yard, watering down the house, when a firefighter walked up to her. He put his arm around her and told her they had a good line behind the house and that he thought it would be ok. Then she burst into tears.

Idaho Power has one transmission line that comes into Boise from Mountain Home which is out because of the fire, but it shouldn’t affect delivery of power to the area, said company spokesman Russ Jones.

“The Boise Bench substation is in the vicinity of the fire, but BLM is protecting that facility in the fire goes in that direction,” Jones said.

Fire officials said all available Boise firefighters and equipment are on the scene. Several calls were made to help replenish oxygen and water.

To read the full article click here.