SOUTHEAST BOISE, Idaho — The Boise Outlet Mall's days are numbered.
Over the next two weeks, the Boise Fire Department will burn what remains of the outdoor mall in Southeast Boise as part of a "rare large-scale training," something Training Captain Joe Lunghofer said is hard to come by.
"We often get single-family dwellings donated to us, but to have the ability to operate in a commercial building or a strip mall is incredibly uncommon," Lunghofer said.
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Since opportunities like this are so rare, the training isn't just for new firefighters. Seventeen crew members from across the department took part on Monday.
"It's one of those low-frequency, high-risk events that we just don't have a lot of experience with," Lunghofer said.
WATCH | How Boise Fire trains at nearly vacant Southeast Boise outlets —
A news release from the Boise Fire Department indicates that the training will include "live-fire scenarios that focus on commercial building fire tactics, including forcible entry, ventilation, roof operations, water supply, fire attack, and incident management."
Large plumes of smoke will be visible in the area as the trainings get underway.
The site was donated to Boise Fire for training, and while the fire is controlled, there are risks.
"The size of the building and the volume of smoke and fire that we have to deal with, and the potential threat for roof collapse, is one of the greatest dangers that we're facing," Lunghofer said.
To reduce that risk, crews limit fire size, protect roof structures, and have EMT on site at all times.
The fire department says they're prepared for the increase in 911 calls during training, which runs through February 6.
"So if people are driving by and they call 911, there's already a note for the structure that we're conducting live fire training," Lunghofer said.
Following the fire training, the Outlet Mall will be fully demolished and removed to make way for a proposed Kenworth truck dealership.
Information about how you can donate a structure can be found here.
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