The fire was first reported at a house on the 200 block of South Main Street around 2 p.m.

The flames quickly spread to a nearby vacant store used for storage before jumping to a second house and then to an apartment building under renovation. The fire caused multiple propane tanks to explode and in the early stages of the blaze, with the wind causing the flames to jump South Main Street, the situation seemed bleak.

Mabey said the house where the fire started was destroyed by the flames. The second home and the vacant store are likely not salvageable either.

The apartment building, unoccupied due to remodeling, sustained only minor exterior damage.

The only person injured was the adult male homeowner of the residence where the fire started. He suffered minor injuries exiting the residence and was transported to a medical facility via private vehicle, authorities said.

The families who resided in the two homes are now looking for new places to stay. The one family is currently with relatives while the second family is temporarily staying at a local Airbnb.

The American Red Cross responded to the fire and is helping both families.

Mabey said the investigation into the cause of the fire is underway but all indications are it was accidental in nature.

Mabey credited a collective effort by firefighters from Caribou, Bear Lake and Bannock counties, augmented by local residents, farmers and businesses, with the fact the fire was not worse.

He said the strong winds that were hammering Caribou County at the time of the fire could have easily caused the flames to spread to the rest of Bancroft.

But the quick response by the firefighters as well as the community kept the blaze from spreading to other parts of the city and saved the apartment building from suffering significant damage after the rear of the structure caught fire.

One of the more memorable moments of the fire was when a local crop duster pilot began flying sorties over the burning South Main Street buildings, dropping water on the flames.

Then there was Helena Ag Services deploying its fleet of tanker trucks to shuttle water from its location in Grace to Bancroft to provide firefighters with a steady supply for their hoses. Several local farmers did the same with their tanker trucks and many Bancroft area residents dropped everything to help the firefighters save the town.

The inspiring effort stopped the fire in its tracks and by early Friday night the flames had been knocked down and firefighters were extinguishing the remaining hot spots.

Mabey also praised local members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for using the Bancroft church building to provide food and beverages to those fighting the fire. The Lions Club building opened its doors for the same purpose.

Mabey said that as of Friday night local people were still bringing food to the scene for the responders.

The fire knocked out power for Bancroft's approximately 300 residents, but Rocky Mountain Power crews responded and are in the process of trying to restore everyone's electricity.

Firefighters are expected to remain on the fire scene until Saturday morning and road closures will remain in Bancroft until then.

Mabey said the entire incident made him feel thankful to live in rural Southeast Idaho where people help each other out, especially in times of need.

"When something like this happens, it brings everyone together," he said.

And in Bancroft on Friday, the end result was likely a town saved from disaster.