 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|||||
The Boise Foothills Fires:
A History of Devastating Loss and Remarkable Discovery
by Molly K Humphreys
Lightening sparks wildfire. Courtesy of South Central Idaho Interagency Dispatch Center.
For centuries, flames have repeatedly scorched the foothills north of Boise. However, since the 1950s the city’s population has increasingly encroached on the fragile Boise Front, and the natural or man-caused fires started in those grasslands and brushy terraces have become substantially more threatening to life and property. This timeline outlines the sequence of fires and their results during selected periods of 1957, 1958, 1963, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003. A more in-depth paper can be found at the bottom of this display, giving details on the fires as well as on the archaeological discoveries and the overall impact of the Eighth Street Fire of 1996.
1957–July 20th, South of Lucky Peak at the Mouth of Morse Creek, lightening caused a fire that burned an
unknown amount of acres.
July 21st, at Schaeffers Creek, lightening caused a fire that burned 15 acres.
July 21st, NE of Boise near Arrowrock Reservoir at Lambing Creek, lightening caused a fire that
burned 20 acres.
July 22nd, at Rocky Canyon/Cottonwood Creek, arson caused a fire that burned 2,400-4,000 acres.
1958–July 24th, north of Boise along Hill Road, a fire of unknown origin burned 8 acres.
August 9th, north of Boise at Cottonwood Creek, lightening caused a fire that burned an unknown
amount of acres.
August 13th, the “Arrowrock Fire” on the south bank of Arrowrock Reservoir was started by lightening burning 1,200-3,000 acres.
August 22nd, north of Boise at Cottonwood Creek, lightening caused a fired thatburned less than 20 acres.
August 22nd, eight miles south of Arrowrock Reservoir at Flat Creek, lightening caused a fire that
burned 20 acres.
August 26th, 10 miles north of Boise in the foothills, a fire of unknown origin burned 1,300 acres.
1963–July 6th, at Stack Rock on Schaeffer Butte, lightening caused a fire that burned 800 acres.
1987–June 29th, the “Picket Pin Fire” south of Rocky Canyon along the Picket Pin Creek was started by
arson. It burned 1,300 acres.
June 29th, the “Cottonwood Fire” along Cottonwood Creek was started by arson. It burned 25 acres.
June 29th, The “Warm Springs Fire” along Warm Springs Avenue was started by arson.
It burned 7 acres.
1988–August 2nd, the “Bogus Basin Fire” between Bogus Basin and Cartwright Road was started by
arson. It burned 2,300 acres.
1990–August, in the Boise foothills between Table Rock and the Eighth Street Extension arson caused twelve
fires that burned 300 acres.
1996–August 26th, the “Eighth Street Fire” along the Eighth Street Extension was unintentionally started
by man and burned 15,300 acres.
1999–July 2nd, in the Boise foothills behind Camel’s Back Park, a man-made fire started with fireworks
burned a small, undisclosed amount of acres.
July 12th, on Tablerock, arson started a fire that burned 6 acres.
July 16th, on Tablerock, arson started a fire that burned 25 acres.
July 26th, three miles east of Boise in Rocky Canyon, lightening caused a fire that burned 100 acres.
July 26th, near the Turner boat ramp at Lucky Peak, lightening caused a fire that burned 300 acres.
July 26th, near Seaman’s Gulch at Dry Creek Rd., lightening caused a fire that burned 300 acres.
2000–June 28th, in the Boise Foothills near Hill Road, a man-made fire started by fireworks burned 40 acres.
July 2nd, at Bogus Basin Road and Crane Creek Country Club, a man-made fire caused by off-road
vehicle use burned 50 acres.
September 26th, the “Hilltop Fire” along Highway 21 toward burned 2,600 acres.
2001–July 4th/5th, in the Boise Foothills along Hill Road at the Briar Hill Condominiums, a man-made fired
caused by fireworks burned 2 acres.
July 5th, along Bogus Basin Road a man-made fire burned 1 acre.
2002–June 5th, in the Hull’s Gulch Reserve, a man-made fire caused by fireworks burned .5 acres.
July 4th, at Pierce Park and Seaman’s Gulch Roads, a man-made fire burned 500 acres.
July 22nd, along the east side of Bogus Basin Road, a man-made fire burned 60 acres.
2003–July 6th, across from the Crow’s Inn on Warm Springs Avenue, a man-made fire burned
864 acres.
A more in-depth paper on the Boise Foothill fire is available here. (link to the PDF of the complete
Boise Foothills paper).
Timelines: • Assay Office • Foothills Fires • Water Supply • Desert to Farmland • Electric City