Cedar Fire in Butte County reached 16% containment

MACKAY — The Cedar Fire, which started with a lightning strike on July 29, has reached 16% containment a week after it was first detected.

The fire occurred in the northern part of Butte County. Judging from current fire maps, it appears to be burning north of Williams Creek and south of Cedar Canyon in the Salmon-Challis National Forest.

An Eastern Idaho Interagency Fire spokeswoman reported 119 local and federal firefighters, aircraft, dozers, and engine crews are working to combat the blaze.

The fire is reported to have burned over 699 acres, according to officials.

The fire does not appear to pose a significant risk to public infrastructure or private property.

A recent update to the Incident Information System’s webpage reports that fire crews are working to tie fire lines into natural features to contain the fire on the north side. Heavy equipment crews are working on improving road access to the fire.

It appears fire crews have been able to stop the fire from growing any larger. The latest report states that increases in acreage are a result of better mapping and the fire burning areas already inside the fire’s “footprint.” The acreage changes do not reflect changes in the fire’s perimeter.