Dry, windy conditions worry officials as Indian Butte Fire grows past 13,000 acres
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DUBOIS — The Indian Butte Fire is only around 20 percent contained with firefighters strenuously working to completely contain it.
The Bureau of Land Management has 100 firefighters on the ground with a helicopter and two planes to fight the Indian Butte Fire. The BLM doesn’t have a time estimate for full containment with a Red Flag warnings complicating firefighting efforts.
EastIdahoNews.com spoke to BLM Public Information Officer Kathleen Gorby near the scene of the fire just north-west of Dubois.
Gorby said the fire has burned 13,174 acres, according got aerial surveys and could quickly increase tonight and Saturday depending on the weather.
“Some of the big concerns for this fire is the fire weather warning that’s in effect until tomorrow afternoon,” Gorby explained. “With the effect comes gusty winds which play a huge factor in fire behavior.”
She said there are about 20 homes that are still threatened, but there have been no reports of any personal damage.
“The part that we’re focusing on the most is the north-eastern section,” she explained. “We want to make sure we keep Spencer safe as well so we’re trying to pinch that off at the head.”
Gorby said some cattle are being moved out of the area, but there are no confirmed cattle deaths.
Find more information and idahofireinfo.com and on the Idaho Fire Info Facebook page.
The Grassy Ridge Fire burned over 99,502 acres north-east of Duboise. It was one of the largest fires in eastern Idaho’s recent history.