BY KAREN BOSSICK

Firefighters were able to get in a good day’s work on the Sharps Fire Sunday, despite wicked winds that blew through the Wood River Valley for about two hours Sunday morning.

The fire, which stretches from the Little Wood River Reservoir to a line about four miles south of East Fork Road, is now 57 percent contained, up from 43 percent a day earlier. And the number of acres that has been burned held steady—at 64,000.

That said there is still some torching on the west side of the fire, which is closest to neighborhoods along Highway 75.

“We had some internal fire. And we still have some hot spots on the west side, which we’re trying to mop up,” said Fire Information Officer Anne Jeffery. “We’re being cautious.”

A total of 518 firefighters are now working the fire, which is the No. 1 priority in the Great Basin region.

The fire has been contained along the west side to a point about four miles northeast of Bellevue. The entire southern flank has been buttoned down with the containment line running up the east side to Smelter Butte, which is about three miles south of Garfield Guard Station.

Firefighters are still concerned about the northwest corner, as some torching is taking place in conifers. The biggest area of concern on Sunday was the area near Garfield Mountain where two Hot Shot crews were working. Back burns were being considered for that area.

Firefighters worked to establish a bulldozer line from the northeast to the Skyline Trailhead on Sunday.

A dry lightning storm moved through Ketchum about 6 a.m. Sunday morning accompanied by two hours of rollicking winds that seemed to go every which way and scattered limbs in some areas. A dusting of snow crowned the Boulder Mountains north of Ketchum and a light rain fell on the Baker Creek and Prairie Creek areas.

But Fire Information Officer Lori Iverson said she did not know whether the storm affected areas impacted by the fire.

“We got a wind at headquarters in Carey, but the fire area is very large so different areas can experience different weather,” she said.

Homes between East Fork Road and Myrtle Street in Hailey remain under pre-evacuation orders, meaning homeowners should be ready to go at a moment’s notice.

The Indian Creek Road, Ohio Gulch Road, East Fork Road, Slaughterhouse Canyon Road and Quigley Road are all closed where the pavement ends.

Part of the Sawtooth National Forest in the vicinity of the fire has been closed for the public’s safety, as has BLM land in the south.

No activities have been curtailed during one of the busiest times of the year in the Sun Valley area, except for the Hyndman Sufferfest. The Sufferfest, a run up 12,009-foot Hyndman Peak, was set to take place Saturday but the race start was past the road closure at the town of Triumph.

Even the Sun Valley Summer symphony opened its 2018 season on Sunday night, with a hundred-plus musicians playing a rousing performance of Tchaikovsky’s challenging Symphony No. 4 after just one rehearsal earlier in the day.

A 35-year-old Bellevue man has admitted starting the fire by shooting at explosive targets. Officials say he could be held liable for the costs of the fire, which have exceeded $2 million.