BY KAREN BOSSICK

Stanley Mayor Steve Botti said Thursday that he is optimistic that employees can return to Redfish Lake Lodge soon as firefighters make progress on the Bench Lake Fire. In fact, they began making their way back to the lodge today. Those with reservations in the Lodge may move in on Sunday and campers with reservations on Monday. The area will open to the general public on Tuesday.

But fire managers caution there is still significant work ahead as isolated smoke columns and tree torching are expected in the coming weeks.

Up to a third of an inch of rain fell on the Stanley Basin Wednesday night with the heaviest amount falling in the Redfish Lake area.

And, while the storm cell brought thunder, lightning and wind gusts of up to 40 miles per hour, temperatures are expected to return to near normal over the weekend and with it higher humidities that will assist in slowing fire activity.

Fire was not expected to grow on Thursday despite a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms and gusts up to 35 miles per hour.

The fire was 58 percent contained by Thursday night, up from 45 percent that morning. An estimated 2,595 acres have been impacted--there was no growth on Thursday. Aircraft have dropped 1.5 million gallons of water on the fire since July 12, the day after it was reported at 12:30 p.m.

Fire crews are continuing to address hazard trees and standing guard to make sure hot spots do not spread past containment lines. The main operational focus is on the northwest corner of the fire in the Fishhook Creek area where firefighters are cooling pockets of heat areas that have not yet been contained.

Crews will continue to camp near the west side of the fire to secure the fire line there, remove hazardous trees and use natural barriers to improve containment around the Bench Lakes.

Fire managers say the mosaic burn around the edges of Redfish Lake, Point Campground and the Redfish Lake Lodge have left much of the scenic beauty of the area intact.

Workers are also continuing to use heavy equipment on Decker Flats Road across from Fourth of July Creek Road to clear dense vegetation. They’re nearly done with fuel reduction around the Sawtooth National Forest Stanley Ranger Station.

Currently, nine helicopters remain on the scene with 15 engines and 403 personnel.

A fire investigator will be brought in to determine the cause of the fire, which started in the Bench Lakes area before moving down to Redfish Lake. It came within a half-mile of the historic Redfish Lake Lodge and its surrounding structures.