BY KAREN BOSSICK

Firefighters worked on constructing fire line to prevent the Bench Lake Fire from moving northwards towards Stanley on Wednesday.

The west/northwest flank of the fire burned down into Fishhook Creek drainage Wednesday as fire crews tried to push the fire into the wet marshy area of the Fishhook Trail area while they constructed more fire line.

Sprinklers ran nonstop at the historic Redfish Lodge, which was still standing as of Wednesday evening. The fire was less than a half-mile from the lodge Wednesday afternoon.

The fire has burned 2,037 acres so far, expanding about 200 acres from the previous day. It remains 3 percent contained, and a fire investigator has been called to determine the cause of the fire, which started Thursday, July 11, at midday between the second and third Bench Lakes.

Control lines have been established at the parking area by the bench at Redfish Lodge to secure the eastern perimeter and protect the lodge. And firefighters have anchored the southern fire perimeter form the fourth Bench Lake to Redfish Lake to prevent the fire from hooking around the inlet side of Redfish Lake and burning down the east shore of the lake.

Warm dry unstable weather conditions on Wednesday increased the risk of spot fires along the north/northeast side of the fire.

The fire, reported at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, July 11, is 3 percent contained. Currently, 324 firefighters are on scene, along with 13 engines, 2 scooper planes and 4 helicopters.

Aircraft scooping water out of Redfish Lake have a five-minute turnaround time.

Crews staged a burnout on Tuesday to burn vegetation between the 101 Trail and the northern edge of the main fire in hopes of creating a break in fuels to reduce fire intensity and limit the spread beyond the trail.

The fire is above Point Campground but no damage to the campground has been reported.

South winds of 15 to 25 miles per hour with temperatures in the mid-80s did not help with firefighting efforts. Increased smoke across the Stanley Basin has been visible since Tuesday, thanks in part to the backburns.