The following is a joint press release from the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office and the Idaho Falls Fire Department.
Idaho Falls, ID: At approximately 1:24 p.m. on December 6, 2020, Bonneville County Sheriff’s Deputies and the Idaho Falls Fire Department were dispatched to a mobile home park in the 2300 E. block of Iona Rd. for a structure fire. Three engines, three ambulances, a ladder truck, water tender and battalion chief responded.
An off-duty IFFD Captain who was nearby received a Pulse Point App public safety alert and responded. As he arrived, the home was full of smoke and flames were showing through the windows, preventing safe entry into the home. The Captain quickly began evacuating occupants from surrounding homes until emergency personnel arrived.
Deputies closed E. Iona Road between N Yellowstone Hwy and N 25th E (Hitt Road) while firefighters contained and put the fire out. Area utilities were briefly shut down by Intermountain Gas and Rocky Mountain Power until the scene was made safe.
At approximately 1:43 p.m. the fire was extinguished and firefighters located one adult male, believed to be 61-year-old Jarius H. Hansen, deceased inside the home. There were no other occupants and no other injuries to civilians, law enforcement or firefighters. The fire was quickly contained to one mobile home space and no other structures were damaged. The mobile home and contents were a complete loss.
The cause of the fire and the cause of death are under investigation by Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office and IFFD’s Fire Prevention/Investigations Division and no further information is available at this time. In addition, Sheriff’s Detectives are looking to contact individuals who witnessed the fire or stopped to assist prior to emergency personnel arrival. Those individuals are asked to contact Det. K. Sibbett via dispatch at (208) 529-1200.
Media Contacts: Sgt. Bryan Lovell, Public Information Officer/Crime Prevention, Bonneville County Sheriff's Office at (208) 529-1299 or blovell@co.bonneville.id.us; Kerry Hammon, Public Information Officer, Idaho Falls Fire Department at (208) 612-8122 or khammon@idahofallsidaho.gov.