In Juliaetta, Idaho, William Howard rushed to assist a friend battling a wildfire on their property, using barrels of water to douse hot spots. Unfortunately, within the 15 minutes it took to refill the barrels, the fast-spreading flames quickly overwhelmed the area. Howard recorded a chilling video as he drove away from the engulfed town, capturing tall flames on both sides of the road, with a mobile home and vehicles ablaze on one side, and trees and brush on fire on the other side. The footage, shared by his mother on Facebook, also captured exploding propane tanks and ammunition.
Numerous social media posts from Thursday and Friday highlighted the fires ravaging the picturesque farm and forest lands around small towns along the Potlatch and Clearwater Rivers. Evacuations were initiated in Juliaetta and neighboring communities as the fires spread rapidly following a thunderstorm the night before.
Robbie Johnson, spokeswoman for the Idaho Department of Lands, mentioned that several structures have been destroyed by the fires, although an exact count is yet to be determined due to ongoing firefighting efforts. The focus remains on evacuating people, animals, and halting the fire’s progression.
Authorities in Latah County actively enforced evacuations, utilizing loudspeakers, door-to-door notifications, and emergency text messages to ensure residents left the hazardous area. Flames flanked the main highway out of Juliaetta as evacuations persisted into the night. The Latah County Fairgrounds served as a shelter for displaced individuals and livestock affected by the wildfire outbreak.
