Firefighters working to contain 2 wildfires after significant overnight growth
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IDAHO FALLS – Firefighters continue to make progress on the Wood Canyon Fire near Soda Springs.
U.S. Bureau of Land Management spokesman Chris Burger tells EastIdahoNews.com the lightning-caused fire has grown to 16 acres since Saturday.
No one has been injured in connection with this fire and there have been no evacuations or threatened buildings. Full containment is expected Sunday at 8 p.m.
RELATED | Firefighters battling 2 separate wildfires in different parts of the state
BLM officials report the fire started at 11:54 a.m. Saturday. There was some initial confusion regarding the location. It is burning west of Soda Springs, not east as some have pointed out.
When firefighters first arrive to a fire, Burger says they typically give it a name. The initial response team named this one the Wood Canyon Fire, even though it is technically burning in Idaho Ranch Canyon.
As of 9 a.m. Sunday, there were five federal engines on-site, along with one federal bulldozer, a type 3 helicopter and two hand crews.
Meanwhile, the Castleford Butte Fire one mile west of Balanced Rock in Buhl has grown to 5,412 acres.
Overnight thunderstorms and windy conditions made containment difficult, which was originally set for Saturday at 8 p.m.
“Pockets in the interior of the fire burned throughout most of the night. Firefighters are continuing to work hard to create containment lines today. Containment is still estimated for (Sunday) at 8 p.m.,” the latest FB update from BLM Idaho Fire says.
Firefighters anticipate having the fire controlled by 8 p.m. Monday.
The cause remains under investigation, but it is believed to be human-caused.
Another fire burning seven miles north of Juniper Butte, which is near the Idaho-Nevada state line, is about 3,500 acres. It started sometime Saturday and is now “actively burning in dry grass and brush,” according to the BLM. Firefighters aren’t sure when this fire will be contained.
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