BC South Fire Protection District

05/31/2026

A quick look back at BC South’s month of May. Rope rescues, a small brush fire, a celebration of Life ceremony, a new fire commissioner and of course training and workouts!

05/21/2026

A quick shout out to Hailey Fire and Rescue and Chief/Chef Baledge for all the help with setup, teardown, and food for yesterday’s Celebration of Life for Commissioner Steven Garman. Your support helped make the day special, and it was greatly appreciated by everyone involved. Thank you for helping honor Commissioner Garman’s legacy.

05/21/2026

A few photos from this evening’s Celebration of Life for Commissioner Steven Garman.

The evening began with a processional from BC South’s Station 3 to Lion’s Park in Hailey, where family, friends, colleagues, and community members gathered to honor and remember Steven’s life and legacy. The ceremony included a bagpiper, a traditional bell ceremony, and heartfelt stories shared by those who knew him best.

Thank you to everyone who came out to pay tribute and celebrate a man who dedicated so much to serving our community.

Steven Garman served for decades as a Commissioner for the BC South Fire Protection District, faithfully serving the residents of southern Blaine County with distinction. His dedication to public service, deep knowledge of fire protection and EMS, and unwavering commitment to the community left a lasting impact on the district and throughout the Wood River Valley.

Commissioner Garman passed away on February 18, 2026.

A second Celebration of Life will be held at the Sawtooth Botanical Garden on Saturday, May 23, 2026, at 1:00 PM.

Rest easy, Commissioner Garman. Your service and legacy will not be forgotten.

05/20/2026

On the evening of May 19, 2026, personnel from the BC South Fire Protection District (BCSFPD), along with mutual aid from Ketchum Fire Department (KFD) and Sun Valley Fire Department (SVFD), conducted a complex, multi-hour technical rope rescue to safely extract an injured paraglider from the steep terrain of Lookout Mountain.

The incident began when the paraglider’s wing collapsed due to tangled lines, causing the pilot to crash on the mountainside around 5:35 p.m. A friend hiked to the patient’s location and called 911 at 9:25 p.m. BCSFPD was dispatched immediately. A total of 19 firefighters and paramedics responded, with 15 ascending the mountain and 4 staffing the command post to maintain coverage for other South Valley calls.

A hasty team of three, including a paramedic, reached the patient at approximately 10:45 p.m. at an elevation of roughly 6,000 feet (coordinates: 43.444580, -114.229713). The patient had sustained multiple traumatic injuries. The team quickly assessed, stabilized, and began pain management while packaging him in a bean bag litter and initiating hypothermia prevention measures.

A larger rescue team followed, hauling a Stokes litter, ropes, clutches, harnesses, and two picket anchor packs (70-pound packs each containing three pickets and a sledgehammer). Starting at midnight, the team executed three sequential rope lowers totaling approximately 900 vertical feet. Using two sets of pickets allowed a “leapfrog” anchor system that significantly accelerated patient movement down the technical terrain.

The medical team provided continuous advanced care for nearly four hours, administering multiple rounds of pain medication under challenging conditions to keep the patient as comfortable as possible during the inherently rough litter lowers. LifeFlight 76 responded, circled the scene, and determined no safe landing zones existed near the patient. The helicopter staged at the command post, received the patient on the valley floor at 1:53 a.m., and departed for Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello at 2:14 a.m. All units cleared the scene by 2:15 a.m., with equipment cleanup completed by 3:30 a.m.

“This was a long-duration, personnel-intensive operation, but it went remarkably efficiently thanks to the skill, fitness, and recent training of everyone involved,” said BCSFPD Operations Chief, Bass Sears. “Our ropes class and refresher had just wrapped up the week before, so crews were sharp, using consistent tactics and equipment. The coordination between hasty and rescue teams, combined with strong mutual aid support, made the difference.”

The successful rescue highlighted the importance of technical rope rescue capabilities in the challenging terrain of the South Valley. As crews returned to the station exhausted and began sorting gear well after 3 a.m., they received welcome news that the ambulance levy had passed which was a timely boost for the tired team.

The BC South Fire Protection District extends its gratitude to all participating agencies, LifeFlight 76, and the coordinated efforts that brought this patient safely off the mountain.

05/14/2026

Over the last few days, members of BC South and other local departments have been participating in a technical rescue course focusing on high and low angle rope rescue. While events requiring rope rescues are relatively rare, it is vital that valley responders possess the skills and training necessary to perform these life-saving operations successfully.

This training ensures that our teams remain prepared for complex rescue scenarios and can continue to provide essential support to the community.

05/14/2026

The BC South Fire Protection District is planning a ceremony to celebrate the life of Commissioner Steven Garman on Wednesday, May 20th, 2026. The ceremony will start at approximately 5PM with a fire engine processional from BC South’s Station 3, just south of Bellevue, and then proceed to Lions Park in Hailey. At the park, the celebration will continue with a bagpiper, speeches, and a “Bell Ceremony” honoring Commissioner Garman. Light fare will be served and the public is encouraged to attend.

Steven Garman was a long time BC South Fire Protection District Commissioner and served the residents of southern Blaine County with distinction for decades. His long-standing dedication to public service, deep knowledge of fire protection and emergency medical services, and unwavering commitment to the community left a lasting impact on the district and the Wood River Valley. Commissioner Garman passed away on February 18th, 2026.

A 2nd celebration of life will be held at the Sawtooth Botanical Gardens on Saturday, May 23rd 2026, at 1pm

05/13/2026

Due to low fuel moistures, increasing temperatures and windy conditions, all open burning in the BC South Fire Protection District has been closed effective May 11, 2026 for the summer season.
Open burning permits will be allowed next fall when significant precipitation has occurred.

05/13/2026

05/13/2026

At approximately 1:17PM on May 12th, 2026, firefighters from the BC South Fire Protection District were called to assist Hailey Fire and Rescue for a report of a small outside fire in a vacant lot on Aspen Valley Dr. in the Woodside neighborhood of Hailey.

Upon arrival, Hailey Fire Chief Baledge found that the fire had spread from the grass to a fence that bordered the vacant lot. Crews from BC South and Hailey Fire started an aggressive fire attack and were able to get knockdown on the grass and fence in a matter of minutes. No structures were damaged and no injuries were reported by residents or fire personnel.

In addition to BC South and Hailey Fire, the Bellevue Fire Department also assisted with fire suppression. The Blaine County Sheriff’s department was also on scene and assisted with notifying and evacuating nearby residents as well as traffic control.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation though unusually dry conditions for this time of year as well as the abundance of cottonwood duff contributed to the fire spread. BC South and Hailey Fire urge residents to be extra careful around cottonwood duff as it is highly flammable and once ignited can spread very quickly to surrounding vegetation.

High winds, 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 55 mph, are forecasted for Wednesday, May 13th from noon to 10PM and that will increase the wildfire danger.