STORY BY KAREN BOSSICK

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BLAINE COUNTY FIRE AND RESCUE

Blaine County Fire and Rescue firefighters were called to a fire burning in construction debris at the Southern Idaho Solid Waste Ohio Gulch Transfer Station shortly after midnight Thursday, Aug. 6.

Firefighters were dispatched at 12:40 a.m. and able to keep it from spreading to surrounding vegetation. Transfer station personnel helped, using a bulldozer and excavator to spread and move burning debris, which allowed firefighters to access hotspots and extinguish the fire more effectively.

Two engines, one water tender and seven firefighters were involved. The fire was contained at 7:20 a.m. Transfer station personnel spent Thursday spreading the debris and monitoring the material to prevent rekindling.

The fire—one of at least five reported throughout the valley during the past week—came as Stage 1 Fire Restrictions were applied to all National Forest, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation and Idaho State Lands as of 12:01 a.m. today—Friday, Aug. 7.

Restrictions will apply to the following South Idaho Fire Restrictions zones, as defined in the 2026 Idaho Fires Restrictions Plan:

Sawtooth North Fire Restrictions Zone – All Sawtooth National Forest, BLM Twin Falls District, and Idaho State Lands north of Highway 20 to the northern most Sawtooth National Forest boundary. From Hill City east to the Craters of the Moon National Park Visitors Center.

Three Creek Fire Restrictions Zone – All BLM Twin Falls District and Idaho State lands south of I-84 south to the Idaho/Nevada border, west of Highway 93 to the Bruneau Canyon.

Shoshone Fire Restrictions Zone – All BLM Twin Falls District and Idaho State lands north of I-84 to Highway 20, from King Hill east to Massacre Rocks State Park.

Cassia Fire Restrictions Zone – All BLM Twin Falls District, Idaho State lands and Sawtooth National Forest lands from I-84/I-86 south of Idaho/Utah/Nevada border, east of Highway 93 to the Cassia County/Onieda County line.

Maps detailing where Stage 1 Fire Restrictions will be implemented will be posted online at https://www.fs.usda.gov/r04/sawtooth/alerts, https://www.blm.gov/programs/fire/regional-info/idaho/fire-restrictions, and https://www.idl.idaho.gov/fire-management/fire-restrictions-finder/.

Under Stage 1 Fire Restrictions, the following acts are prohibited:

Building or maintaining a wood-, charcoal-, or briquette-fueled fire outside of a permanent metal or concrete fire pit or grate that the Forest Service or BLM has installed and maintained at its developed recreation sites.

Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, at a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable material.

Visitors outside of these designated sites may use a stove or grill equipped with a shut-off valve that is solely fueled by liquid petroleum or liquid petroleum gas fuels. Stoves or grills of this type can only be used in areas that are barren or cleared of all overhead and surrounding flammable materials within three feet of the device.

Additional restrictions may be necessary in the future. If conditions moderate, agencies will consider lifting restrictions earlier.

Violations of these restrictions could result in mandatory appearance in a federal court, fines, or jail time. 

For additional information on fire restrictions, visit the fire restrictions website at https://www.idl.idaho.gov/restrictions.

The fire scene at the Ohio Gulch Transfer Station took on a surreal red in the dark of night.

A firefighter tackled the fire from a safe distance.