BY KAREN BOSSICK

Multiple helicopters and a single engine air tanker dumped water Monday on a wildfire in a forested hillside above Oregon Gulch.

Fortunately, by the time 1,700 music lovers had sat down in their seats for the initial concert in the Sun Valley Music Festival's summer season and another 1,500 sprawled out across the lawn, crews had it corralled.

Forest Service officials say locals should expect to see smoke for multiple days as crews secure the edge of the fire and mop up.

The Oregon Gulch area where the fire originated was 8.5 miles northwest of Ketchum and in the vicinity of some expensive homes. It was burning in spruce and fir.

The fire—called the Oregon Fire--was reported at about 2 a.m. Monday and crews dispatched at 8:30 a.m. Most of the Wood River Valley remained free of the smoke throughout the day, but Indian Creek north of Hailey seemed to be in the direct path of smoke as residents there reported “very smoky” conditions and as well as helicopters flying over.

A big plume of smoke could be seen from Highway 75 in the vicinity of the fire, along with smoke as the fire continued three-quarters mile west of the Oregon Gulch Trailhead.

Officials with the Sawtooth National Forest asked hikers and bicyclists to stay clear of the popular Oregon Gulch trail and surrounding trails in Fox Creek and Chocolate Gulch.

The fire grew from two acres at 8 a.m. to three acres by afternoon, but officials said the activity seemed to die down with the air attack. A Type 2 helicopter was the first to arrive on the scene followed by a Type 3 helicopter and, later, a Type 1 helicopter.

The Sawtooth Hotshots also responded to the fire.

Type 1 helicopters are the largest, fastest flying helicopter used to fight wildland fires. They can carry 700 gallons of water or retardant via bucket or snorkel and can drop thousands of gallons of water with pinpoint accuracy. What’s more, they can carry up to 15 firefighters at a time.

Type 2 helicopters can carry up to 300 gallons of water and are very effective as initial attack resources as they can transport up to nine firefighters at a time.

Type 3 helicopters are smaller but have a higher cruise speed than Type 2 helicopters. They can carry 180 gallons of water and four to five firefighters at a time.

Monday’s fire seemed to mark the start of wildfire season in the Sun Valley/Ketchum/Stanley area after a summer of smoke-free, fire-free paradise.

A small fire was sparked by lightning Friday evening on Durrance Mountain above the Sawtooth National Recreation Area headquarters. That fire, part of a dry storm that moved through about 4:45 p.m., was quickly extinguished.

Officials have not yet released the probable cause of the fire.