update 05.17.26
Butte County Commissioners, Brian Harrell, “Hootie” Langseth, Blake Van Etten spent over a quarter of a million dollars (269k of our money) to buy a “historic” building, located on a prime city real estate corner, evicted residents with children and pets during January with only a 30 day notice. Now what?
Usually, a private citizen, spending their own money, already has a plan in place before purchase. Apparently elected officials, don’t need a plan. Money is abundant, and just keeps coming in.
Now the plan might be tear it down because ITD stated it blocks the “view” at the intersection? That intersection is no different than in other cities with two highways meeting/connecting within city limits. It forces vehicles to slow and stop. Butttt…tearing it down is what Commissioner’s want…it was always the plan…
ChaChing $$$$$$….we’re in the money….
*****April 27, 2026 Commissioner Meeting*****
101 GRAND AVE. PROPERTY. (Frederick”s)
Discussions were held regarding the 101 Grand Ave. Property, Clerk Blackner had reached out to the Idaho Department of Transportation, anc they stated they are in favor of demolishing the building because it blocks the view of the intersection of Grand Ave. and Front St., which are both highways It was stated that the building could be used for fire exercises by the local fire departments and the INL fire department. To do the exercises, the asbestos would need to be abated. Commissioner Langseth will reach out to the Department of Environmental Quality and the Environmental Protection Agency to discuss a Brown Field Assessment.
ChaChing$$$$$$…we’re in the money….
Recent discussion is let the fire departments burn it down as training. Of course the building needs to be stripped and made safe before all that.
ChaChing $$$$$$….we’re in the money….
- Fire departments conducting live-fire training in acquired structures or permanent facilities must comply with NFPA 1403 Standard on Live Fire Training Evolutions. Mandatory prerequisites include environmental/air quality permits, complete utility disconnection, removal of all hazardous materials, and structural evaluation by a certified engineer or building inspector.
1. Site Preparation & Hazards
Before any fire is ignited, the building must be strictly prepped:
- Hazmat Removal: All asbestos, plastics, linoleum, carpeting, and closed vessels (e.g., oil tanks) must be removed to prevent toxic smoke.
- Structural Integrity: Weakened structural members must be shored up, floor holes covered, and dangerous chimneys removed.
- Egress & Safety: At least two unobstructed exits must be maintained in every burn room, and low-density combustible fiberboard must be removed.
2. Legal & Environmental Compliance
- Permits: Departments must notify and obtain burn permits from state or local environmental/air quality agencies.
- Public Notice: Area residents must be informed prior to the burn, detailing the date, time, expected smoke, and road closures.
- Asbestos: Compliance with EPA and state asbestos regulations is mandatory, especially for older structures.
3. Personnel & Operations
- Instructors & Safety Officers: A designated Incident Commander and a Safety Officer (independent from the fire attack) must be appointed.
- Student-to-Instructor Ratio: The standard requires a maximum ratio of 5 students to 1 instructor in the live fire area.
- Rehab & EMS: An Emergency Medical Services (EMS) crew with a transport unit must be on standby at the scene.
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): All participating personnel must wear complete, compliant structural firefighting gear and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).
4. Water Supply & Fire Control
- Adequate Reserves: A dedicated, uninterrupted water supply must be capable of delivering the required fire flow, plus an additional 50% reserve for safety and exposure protection.
- Separate Sources: The attack pumper and the backup pumper must draw from separate water sources.
- Fuel Packages: Fires must be fueled by clean, manageable Class A materials (e.g., pallets, straw). Highly flammable synthetic materials or accelerants (e.g., gasoline) are prohibited unless explicitly authorized under specific training scenarios.
Then an empty lot, on a prime city corner, where, per ITD?, no building is preferred so TRAFFIC can flow faster, collecting no tax income, housing no one, no ground floor retail business, tax etc.
So no plan, no objective. Just SPEND… ChaChing $$$$$$….we’re in the money….