Idaho City Bills Building Owner for Firefighting Costs

Officials in the south-central Idaho city of Jerome have sent a $96,000 bill for firefighting costs to the owner of a downtown apartment building destroyed in a blaze.

KTVB-TV reports in a story Wednesday that Sylvia Moore received the bill stemming from the April 30 fire started after fire officials say a tenant left a hot glue gun on a plastic chair.

Jerome Fire Chief Jack Krill billed for 67 hours and says Moore or her insurance company should pay for the costs of fighting the blaze that also damaged two nearby buildings.

Moore says it’s not clear to her how a fire department paid with taxes can also bill for fighting a fire within an area it is assigned to protect.

The bill is due June 21.