BY KAREN BOSSICK

Lower Stanley was evacuated late Tuesday night as the Wapiti Fire continued to grow. And State Highway 75 has been closed in that area.

The Idaho Transportation Department reported Tuesday night that both directions of State Highway 75 had been closed at the Stanley Museum at milepost 190, Gateway at milepost 192 and Casino Creek at mile post 195. But the Custer county Sheriff reported Wednesday morning that that had been a mistake--the highway remains open.

Highway 21 has been closed from Stanley to the Sour Dough Lodge east of Lowman. About 250 homes are threatened in that area, with Lowman also under threat from the Middle Fork Complex Fire west of town.

The evacuation was prompted by a spot fire that jumped Highway 21 in the Nip and Tuck area, propelled by erratic winds and wind gusts.

The Red Cross has moved its shelter from the Stanley Community Hall to the Challis LDS Church.  It was reported that the organization plans to open a second shelter in Ketchum, but that seems up in the air at this time.

A GoFundMe account has been set up for volunteer firefighters fighting the Wapiti Fire in Stanley. So far, the fund has raised $40,000.

Volunteers with the Sawtooth Valley Rural Fire Department, which was started in the 1970s, have been battling the blaze for more than a month.

"This fire has threatened many of our local residents' homes and community. Not only have some of our volunteers and their families been displaced, but they have also been working hard and long hours to protect these homes and our town," said Cassie Stanley, who organized the fundraiser. "They have chosen to leave their paying jobs to make sure we don't lose any structures."

The Stanley Fire Volunteers are solely funded by donations, rather than city or state funds. Many assisted on the Bench Lake Fire, which threatened Redfish Lake and Lodge in July. They have been assisting with the Wapiti Fire, which started in Grandjean on July 24, hopped the ridge between the Stanley Basin and Grandjean and began burning down towards Stanley Lake.

To contribute to the account, go to https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-stanley-fire-and-stanley-ambulance-volunteers. Donations can also be mailed to Box 29, Stanley, ID 83278.

Others are stepping up in other ways. Mariana Gutierrez Killen of Boise, for instance, contacted The Eye, acknowledging that she has a surplus of canned dog food and water she would like to donate to those who have been displaced by the fire.

After a weekend lull due to cooler wetter weather, fire activity increased Monday as the lightning-caused fire grew from 68,000 acres to 70,200 acres with zero containment and began moving into Crooked Creek. The number of firefighters working on it increased from 522 to 620 as the fire continues to be the nation’s top priority.

Very large air tankers (VLATs) have been dumping retardant to protect the town of Stanley. They also dumped retardant south of Iron Creek and east of Highway 21 to protect the homes in that area. The retardant line allowed firefighters to spend Monday night conducting backburns to create a defensible line between the approaching fire and homes at risk.

The defensible line now begins north of Homestead, trails down Highway 21, around Crooked Creek and west along iron Creek.