Gap Fire burns 200 acres in Bannock County; brief evacuation order lifted
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POCATELLO — A wildfire burning in Bannock County has scorched roughly 200 acres and, at one point, was threatening structures
Fire officials with the Bureau of Land Management say the blaze was first reported about 1:45 p.m. in an area between Pocatello and Inkom known as the Portneuf Gap. Fueled by dry grass and brush, the agency reported the blaze quickly grew from an estimated 20 acres to 200 acres in roughly two hours.
An afternoon update from the BLM, the lead agency fighting the fire, reported that some structures in “a small area west of Inkom” were at risk of catching fire. The threatened area — clarified to be along Canyon Road — was put under an evacuation order, Bannock County spokeswoman Emma Iannacone told EastIdahoNews; she said that evacuation order had been lifted as of 7:10 p.m.
Investigators have not determined the cause of the fire, and the BLM said it did not have an estimated time of containment as of 7:35 p.m.
Several agencies, including the U.S. Wildland Fire Service Great Basin Unit 3–Idaho Falls and the U.S. Forest Service, were assisting in efforts to gain control of the blaze Sunday. Watch Duty fire watchers reported that the Forest Service was contributing its Helicopter Bucket Crew to the fight.
“Firefighter and public safety is the highest priority,” the BLM said in a 7:35 p.m. update. “Please avoid the area and give the firefighters room to work.”
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information is available.
CORRECTION: An earlier version incorrectly stated that the wildfire had burned 400 acres.
