July 30, 2010
By: Jana Bell
Four homes and several other structures were destroyed this week by a devastating grass fire in the small city of Eagle, Idaho, leaving three families homeless. One of those families, speaking to local TV station KTVB, said that they were renting and did not have insurance.
Another local station, KLEW, said that 300 firefighters were needed to combat the blaze, and that they used both ground-based and aerial techniques to contain it. The station reports that the fire is still going, but it has been contained. Firefighters are keeping a close watch on it to ensure that subsidiary fires do not spring up.
The fire was started by a nearby lightning strike, according to KLEW. Resident Lacey Wesely told the station "I watched the storm come in, and I watched the lightning strike that spot from my window. Within about four minutes I saw what looked like a whitish ash cloud on the foothill. Then within a couple minutes thereafter, I could see the smoke start to rise."
Other recent wildfires and several floods around the country have caused serious damage to homes, highlighting the risks for those without home insurance.
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