Fire crews have finally taken control of the massive Beaver Creek Fire in central Idaho, which is now 90 percent contained.
The blaze, which was sparked by lightning Aug. 7, has burned more than 169,000 square acres of land near Hailey, Ketchum and Sun Valley, destroying one home and seven other buildings. At one time, the wildfire threatened around 1,000 homes in a posh resort region owned by Hollywood elites like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Hanks, Bruce Willis and Steven Spielberg.
On Sunday, firefighters worked to finish putting in containment lines on the 173-square-mile blaze, said Fire spokeswoman Meghan Stump, according to KTVB.com. She added that rehabilitation work has also started with crews working to restore dozer lines.
Fire crews estimate that the fire will be fully contained by Aug. 31. In addition, growth potential has dropped to medium and all evacuation orders have been lifted, reports The Spokesman-Review. However, some Forest Service and BLM area closures remain in effect, including forest lands from Galena Summit south to the SNRA Headquarters on both sides of Hwy 75 which includes Baker Creek and Easley.
About 770 personnel remain assigned to the lightning-caused blaze. About 50 miles west the tiny mountain town of Atlanta remained under evacuation orders Sunday because of the 25-square-mile Little Queens Fire that is 10 percent contained. A group of 390 firefighters are battling the Little Queens Fire and five miles of control line have been established from the north side of Atlanta to the west, down the Middle Fork of the Boise River drainage. The town remains under an evacuation order.
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
