Police officer's rapid evacuation prevents total loss of Jackson home

Jackson Police Officer Liam Fowler reported a fire to dispatch at 9:10 a.m. Thursday after spotting smoke rising from a residence on Flat Creek Drive. His immediate intervention allowed the occupants to escape before flames reached the attic, a window of time that Jackson Hole Fire/EMS Deputy Chief Brian Coe credited with preventing a worst-case scenario.

Fowler was driving past the home when he noticed the smoke. Although wood stoves are common in Jackson during the fall, Fowler determined the situation required attention. He contacted the Teton County Sheriff’s Office, rushed to the property, and evacuated the family. Additional officers arrived approximately two minutes after Fowler’s initial report.

Jim Rooks and his wife, Ruth, were inside the home in their pajamas when they heard loud knocking at the front door. Rooks said there was no smoke inside at the time, leaving the family unaware of the fire's presence until Fowler arrived. The couple, along with their seven-year-old Labrador retriever, Luna, moved to the front deck to find flames racing up the side of the house.

Rooks described the scene as resembling an explosion. He stated he was sitting in the middle of Flat Creek Drive in his underwear because there was no time to retrieve clothing. Fowler provided blankets and placed the couple in the back of his police cruiser. By the time the first fire engine arrived five minutes after the initial report, flames were climbing into the attic.

Twenty-five personnel from Jackson Hole Fire/EMS responded to the scene. The group included three command staff, a medical director, three engines, an aerial ladder truck, two ambulances, and a drone. Firefighters used the aerial ladder to ventilate the roof, which helped slow the fire's spread through the attic. Crews then focused on salvage operations to protect remaining property from fire, smoke, and water.

No one was injured in the incident. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Rooks stated that half of the house is completely torched. He estimated that a five-minute delay in the response could have allowed the fire to engulf the entire home and potentially spread to neighboring properties. The house, built by the family around 2005, suffered extensive smoke and water damage in areas not directly consumed by flames.

The family expects to be displaced for at least one year. Rooks, a former Jackson Town Council member, described the home as a labor of love that the family built from the ground up. He recalled pouring 30 yards of concrete with friends during a 20-below-zero temperature. The structure represented a dream achieved for a teacher entering the local housing market.

Two tropical fish belonging to the Rooks' daughter survived the fire. The tank was located in her bedroom and covered in soot when Rooks was granted limited access to the property. Responders escorted him inside to retrieve the animals, Rosie and Azul. Rooks said he could not believe they were still swimming. He plans to write a letter to the community to express gratitude for the support received from neighbors and strangers throughout the day.