Fire destroys two Lapwai homes

LAPWAI — Two Nez Perce families were displaced when their homes were destroyed by a fire here Friday afternoon.

Some of the residents were treated onsite for smoke inhalation and a few firefighters were evaluated for heat exhaustion, but there were no serious injuries related to the fire that struck on a day when temperatures reached the high 90s. The cause is under investigation.

“By the time most units got on scene these (homes) were a complete loss, so we started doing a surround and protect (strategy on) the structures around us,” said Bill Skiles, chief of the Lapwai Volunteer Fire Department.

The Nez Perce Tribal government is headquartered at Lapwai and the tribe’s wildland firefighting team was the first to respond.

“They did what they could to suppress and contain the spread,” said Shannon Wheeler, chairman of the Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee. “That was big, that was essential for holding it back.”

Skiles and his crew arrived next and took command of the effort to control the blaze. Mutual aid was provided by the Nez Perce County Fire Department and the Wheatland and Culdesac volunteer fire departments. Workers and water trucks from Boyer Farms responded and neighbors used their garden hoses to aid the fight. An ambulance crew from the Lewiston Fire Department was also on scene.

Nearby tribal offices, including those housing the fisheries, justice and probation departments as well as the tribe’s Head Start program, were evacuated as a precaution. Wheeler commended tribal members and neighbors for rallying to help fight the fire and give assistance to the displaced families. He also expressed sorrow for what was lost to the flames.

“Some material things can be replaced, but it’s the family heirlooms and pictures — some handcrafted items (that) could have been passed on from generation to generation — that could have been lost,” he said. “Those things are irreplaceable, and that’s really difficult. I really feel for the families when their memories and their home — those types of items that are so meaningful to them — when they’re lost.”

He said the tribal government would be available to help the families. Skiles expected firefires to continue to mop up hot spots well into the evening and said the destroyed homes would be monitored throughout the night to guard against flare-ups.

Barker may be contacted at ebarker@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2273. Follow him on Twitter @ezebarker.