Boise Fire responds to Interfaith Sanctuary building on State Street. Here’s what happened

Smoke venting into the Interfaith Sanctuary building on State Street — where Idaho Youth Ranch volunteers were working on Wednesday afternoon — prompted a response from Boise Fire Department crews.

The cause of the smoke was a malfunctioning air conditioning unit on the roof, Jodi Peterson-Stigers, executive director of Interfaith Sanctuary, told the Idaho Statesman.

Volunteers from the Idaho Youth Ranch were using the building at 4308 W. State Street while their facility undergoes repairs from last month’s fire, Peterson-Stigers said. She said the building and its AC system had not been used recently, which could have contributed to the malfunction.

Peterson-Stigers said that shortly after the fire crews arrived, they were able to identify the source of the smoke and shut off the faulty AC unit. There was no damage to the structure and there were no injuries, she said.

Three fire engines were dispatched to the scene, according to PulsePoint. Boise Fire Department spokesperson Lynsey Amundson confirmed that there was no fire and that the smoke was caused by the motor in an AC unit.

Interfaith Sanctuary is planning to convert the building, which was formerly a Salvation Army store, into a new shelter.

“I’m just really grateful that everything’s OK and that it turned out to be something very minor and that they’re able to still stay in the building and get their work done,” Peterson-Stigers told the Statesman.