STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK
A fire seven miles north of Shoshone has destroyed a home, as well as several secondary structures.And it's threatening power in the Wood River Valley.
Idaho Power representatives warned Sunday night that the Mammoth Fire could disrupt power to the Wood River Valley for as much as two days. They worked throughout the night to protect transmission lines, as Bureau of Land Management firefighters set backfires to keep the fire from jumping ahead.
The fire started to enter the southern part of Blaine County at Highway 26
and Cut-off Road between Picabo and Richfield as an orange moon rose in
the sky, And high winds are making the fire unpredictable.
Cell coverage in the Wood River Valley became restricted Saturday night as circuits overloaded.
The Mammoth Fire, reported at 2:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 4, went on a rampage through grass and brush fueled by high winds.
It had grown to 15,000 acres by Saturday afternoon and wind gusts up to 30 miles per hour created additional extreme fire behavior, pushing the number of acres to 20,000.
Lincoln County Sheriff Rene Rodriguez ordered evacuations for the Burmah Road and Cottonwood Slough areas on Friday, lifting them that night. He ordered additional evacuations for residents living on the 1420 N. Road from the old Burmah Road to the 1250 East Road. Evacuations were rescinded Saturday evening, allowing homeowners to return to their homes.
Heavy smoke and poor visibility forced fire managers to ground aircraft for part of the day. Ground crews continue to arrive from Nevada to help fight the blaze.
Access on the northern flank is particularly difficult due to lava rock.
The fire was initially fought by Twin Falls District BLM and Richfield Rural Fire Department with the help of two helicopters and three air tankers. Bellevue, Carey, Shoshone, Gooding, and Jerome fire departments joined them as the fight wore on.
Firefighters had hoped to get the fire contained by 8 p.m. tonight—Sunday, Aug. 6—and have it under control by 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 8. But the time of containment is now unknown. The cause of the fire is also unknown.
Even as firefighters battled the Mammoth Fire, a new fire called the Shoestring Fire broke out six miles north of Wendell at 1:48 p.m. It quickly moved east, burning into the Antelope Fire scar created last month, which slowed its progression. It is estimated to be 12,000 acres with no idea when containment could occur. The cause is not known.
The fire rampaged through grass and brush, driven by devil winds. No structures are being threatened but heavy smoke has made it difficult for motorists in the area.
The fire is being fought by the Gooding Rural Fire Department and Notch Butte Rangeland Fire Protection Association.
There are several fires burning in southern Idaho, including the Powerline Fire seven miles southeast of American Falls, The fire, which started on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation, has jumped the Arbon Valley Highway several times as it burgeoned from 3,000 acres to 30,000 acres on Saturday. It is human caused.
Several sheds have been destroyed and five homes are threatened by 40-foot flames.
Other fires include the 24,500-acre Lava Flow Fire five miles south of Atomic City, and a couple fires near the Middle Fork of the Salmon River.
Meteorologists say that the hazy smoke that has settled in the valleys the past couple days is from northwest Washington where smoke from British Columbia fires obscured the Space Needle in Seattle.
There are also large fires in California, Oregon and Montana.
With the eclipse coming, the Bureau of Land Management and Idaho Transportation department are partnering to prevent wildfires along highways in eastern Idaho. ITD is increasing mowing frequency and cutting overgrown vegetation along Highway 33, 48 and 28.