EAGLE, Idaho — Avimor leaders reached out to Idaho News 6 after vandals targeted the foothills near the community early Thursday morning — spray painting surveillance cameras, ripping down no trespassing signs, and burning pallets during high fire danger conditions.
General Manager Brad Pfannmuller invited Idaho News 6 out to Avimor to see the damage firsthand. The incident occurred approximately 2.5 miles off Highway 55 near the community's water tower — about 6 miles off Willow Creek Road. The area is private property with multiple no trespassing signs posted along the route, and is not open to the general public.
WATCH: Avimor vandals spray-painted cameras, ripped down signs, and set bonfires during high fire danger conditions
Surveillance cameras at the water tower captured images of people walking through the area around 2 a.m., along with footage of a truck seen leaving the scene. Shortly after those images were captured, the cameras were spray-painted, signs were torn down, and a fire was started in the foothills. Pfannmuller said the camera has already been replaced and that identifying the people responsible is a priority.
"It's important for us to catch them," Pfannmuller said.
He noted that because Idaho law no longer requires front license plates, the truck's plate could not be captured on camera. He said he is hoping someone may recognize the vehicle or the individuals seen in the surveillance footage.
Pfannmuller said this is not the first time the community has had problems with unauthorized visitors starting fires in the area. Avimor has hired a security company to monitor the property, install cameras, and post "no trespassing" signs throughout. He said certain users, including equestrians, mountain bikers, hikers, and residents who have completed a required class, are permitted on the property with specific rules, including carrying fire extinguishers on vehicles. But for the general public, the area is private property and off-limits, particularly during high fire danger.
The incident comes as hot, dry conditions continue across the Treasure Valley, with the Claremont Fire visible from the hills above Avimor.
"We're just really concerned with wind and how dry the conditions are," Pfannmuller said.
"The risk is great if a fire does get started, and so we want to minimize that as much as possible," Pfannmuller said.
Pfannmuller said the community has more than 1,100 homes, making fire prevention a top priority.
"It puts us at jeopardy, and it puts a lot of other residents here in the Treasure Valley at jeopardy," Pfannmuller said.
He said he understands that young people will push boundaries — but said the stakes are too high. He pointed to a fire started by a young person in Boise about 10 years ago as a reminder of how quickly a moment of poor judgment can become life-altering.
"Something like this, it could be a life-changing event for a whole family, you know. Look at the kid that started the fire 10 years ago in Boise. It was a total life-changing experience, and that's not what we want," Pfannmuller said.
He said the goal of going public with the story is not to punish anyone — it is to prevent the next incident before real damage occurs.
He added that the message needs to reach parents, too.
"There's a lot of parents like me in general, where I have kids, and I always talk to them about the things you do right and what you do wrong. In something like this, it could be a life-changing event for a whole family," Pfannmuller said.
"We totally understand kids are gonna be kids, but we want to make sure that kids don't become adults really fast when a fire gets started. That is a problem," Pfannmuller said.
Avimor was the first FireWise community from its inception in the United States — a designation Pfannmuller said the community takes seriously. The community maintains more than 60 percent open space in every phase of development, compared to the Eagle standard of 20 percent, and has worked closely with Eagle Fire District on fire breaks, fire lines, and community education.
As of the time of the incident, Eagle Fire was actively working on more than 16 miles of firebreak around Avimor in conjunction with the community's conservation director.
Avimor is also moving forward with plans to bring Eagle Fire Station 6 to the community. Pfannmuller said the plans go to design review with the City of Eagle within the next month, with construction expected to begin either in the fall of this year or spring of next year. The station would be expected to be complete by 2028.
If you recognize the truck or suspects seen on surveillance near Avimor, call the Ada County Sheriff's Office non-emergency line at 208-377-6790.
