Firefighters battle blaze north of town

Crews work to contain the flames from a brush fire that ignited Tuesday afternoon near Northeast Lariat Drive north of Mountain Home.

Local firefighters joined a crew from the Bureau of Land Management to battle a brush fire Tuesday afternoon.

The fire was reported around 3:25 p.m. in the vicinity of Northeast Lariat Lane with the winds moving it southeast toward Mountain Home Reservoir.

According to Capt. Rick VanMeer with the city fire department, winds caused the blaze to travel at speeds reaching 30 miles per hour before crews stopped the fire at Eagle View Road three hours later. It had scorched approximately 10 acres before firefighters contained the flames.

The cause of the fire was undetermined. While there were several homes and outbuildings in the vicinity of the blaze, the fire reportedly caused damage to a private trailer.

With southern Idaho preparing for this year's anticipated fire season, VanMeer urged residents, especially those living in rural areas, to clear weeds away from their homes and other structures.

"Cheat grass is getting tall, and we don't have a chance with that stuff (if it ignites in a fire)," VanMeer said.