Idaho guardsmen lost in resort fire

Someone sent us a link to the sad news that some Idaho National Guardsmen from Boise were killed in a fire at a resort in Donnelly on Friday night. It looks like the fire resulted from a propane tank explosion.

Guard spokesman Maj. Chris Borders declined to identify the guard member or members who died; however, a news release from the Valley County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday said that William Smith, who friends say went by “Mitch,” identified the victims as his wife, Erin Smith, 39; their friend James Harper III, 49; and two juveniles. The Smiths and Harper are Boise residents.

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Erin Smith made national headlines last year as one of the first female tank crew members in the U.S., and co-workers remember her as a “trailblazer.”

“I’m sure there’s not a young woman in the National Guard that doesn’t look to Erin as a role model,” said fellow guardsman Noah Siple.

Siple, who said he was shocked to hear about the fatal fire, described Erin Smith as someone who wanted to break down barriers for other soldiers.

“It wasn’t for her own limelight,” he said.

Siple said Erin Smith and Harper were both senior leaders within the National Guard, deeply involved with many others in the organization.

Harper, he said, played a key role in bringing several memorials to Gowen Field, including one commemorating fallen soldiers.

“He really championed legacy, and there’s so many of us that want to memorialize Jim,” Siple said.

The guardsmen were celebrating the Fourth of July weekend together when the explosion occurred.