The Valley County sheriff’s office is ordering an immediate evacuation of some subdivisions near the Tamarack Resort as strong winds fan the flames of the Hurd Creek wildfire.
The sheriff’s office Thursday issued a level three evacuation notice for about 100 homes in subdivisions south of the golf and ski resort, located in the mountains west of Donnelly, meaning residents are being told to leave immediately.
Authorities are also warning owners of the pricier homes closer to the resort to be ready to clear out on a moment’s notice.
The Hurd Creek Fire began Saturday in a lightning strike but – fueled by wind gusts, dry conditions and heat – grew Wednesday night. It has now burned about 550 acres and is being battled by more than 700 firefighters and support staff.
The blaze is one of three significant fires being fought across the state in a late-season surge in wildfire activity.
The Long Butte Fire burning in the southern Idaho desert is 50 percent contained. After revising earlier estimates, fire officials said the Long Butte blaze has now scorched more than 478 square miles of flat landscape populated by sagebrush and cheatgrass.
Some of the 306,000 acres that have burned since Saturday include the home range of a wild horse herd and about 75 percent of the Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument. Officials said they managed to remove valuable fossil collections but are worried about the long-term impacts of the fire on fossil beds and active dig sites from erosion and mud slides.
Near the central Idaho town of Stanley, more than 560 firefighters are battling the Banner Fire, which grew by 350 acres Wednesday and has now scorched more than 2,000 acres.
But fire managers said gaining ground may be a challenge considering the weather predicted for southern Idaho Thursday. The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning indicating extreme burning conditions and forecasts of a strong cold front moving into the southern portion of the state, bringing high winds and thunderstorms. (AP, KTVB)
