Fire investigators from the Hailey Fire Department have confirmed that a River Street shed fire called in before noon last Saturday was caused by arson.
"It was definitely intentional," Hailey Fire Chief Mike Chapman said Thursday.
The Saturday morning fire, which firefighters declared under control by 11:31 a.m., gutted the abandoned shed in northern Hailey, Chapman said. The approximately 400-square-foot shed is, however, still standing.
Total losses incurred by the blaze amount to several thousand dollars, Chapman said.
Altogether, the Hailey Fire Department sent one fire engine with six firefighters to the shed fire. Wood River Fire and Rescue sent an additional ladder truck plus five firefighters and an ambulance with two emergency personnel.
The shed was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived, Chapman said. The firefighters also noticed smoke coming from a nearby home, which is also abandoned.
Allowing the shed fire to burn itself out, the firefighters focused their attention on determining where the smoke was coming from in the abandoned residence.
Once inside, firefighters discovered the source of the smoke was a fire burning in a wood stove. The chimney flue had been removed. Firefighters immediately put out the fire, Chapman said.
While inside the abandoned home, firefighters discovered evidence suggesting it had been recently occupied, he said. They found needles and other items.
Anyone with information on this fire is encouraged to call the Hailey Fire Department at 788-3147.
Another Hailey blaze, which firefighters responded to on Monday, has been ruled accidental, Chapman said.
The fire took place in a home on River Trail in northwest Hailey and was declared under control at 3:36 a.m.
Crews from both the Hailey Fire Department and Wood River Fire and Rescue responded to the fire found within the ceiling where a chimney flue passes through.
Firefighters removed a 5-foot portion of the ceiling to get at the fire, Chapman said.
A post-fire investigation determined the fire was caused by insulation improperly installed in the ceiling, Chapman said.
Fire investigators have determined the blaze that gutted this shed on River Street in northern Hailey was set as an act of arson. Photo by David N. Seelig
