Lightning strikes cause wildfires in central Idaho
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TWIN FALLS — Local and federal firefighters are battling a couple of small to moderate fires that were started by lightning over the weekend.
The largest is the Ridgeline Fire, located about seven miles northeast of Albion in Cassia County. It ignited Saturday afternoon and by the evening had grown to more than 1,000 acres.
Thus far it has only burned grass, brush and juniper, however, there are structures in the area. Thus far, no structures have been threatened or damaged.
Firefighters continue to face extreme fire behavior including high winds, low relative humidity and high temperatures, according to a Bureau of Land Management news release. Passing thunder storms have caused the fire to burn erratically in the heavy fuel.
No estimate on containment has been given for the Ridgeline Fire.
Additionally, the Smith Fire ignited Saturday evening off U.S. Highway 30 near Raft River in Cassia County. No specifics or estimates of containment for that fire have been released.
Several fires that started on Friday — including the Clover Fire southwest of Buhl, near Horse Butte, and the Pipline Fire some 12 miles east of Declo are now contained.
In eastern Idaho, firefighters extinguished the Twenty Mile Fire, located 22 miles west of Idaho Falls, on Saturday.
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