Hayden Fire west of Leadore grows to 9,660 acres
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LEADORE – Firefighters are still trying to determine the cause of the Hayden Fire.
The blaze started around 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 19 in the Lemhi Mountain Range 18 miles west of Leadore. It’s grown 6,000 acres since Saturday, bringing the total to 9,660 acres. Firefighters are working to contain it.
No injuries have been reported in connection with this fire and there aren’t any homes or buildings at risk.
A Tuesday morning news release from the Interagency Incident Management Team says the fire is burning in “steep and difficult terrain with spruce/subalpine fir.” There are a lot of dead and fallen trees to fuel it.
RELATED | Firefighters battling 3,600-acre blaze near Leadore
On Saturday, fire officials started using bulldozers to build a barrier on the eastern side of the blaze to stop it from spreading. They did this while dropping retardant from the air.
The plan for Tuesday is to continue to get ahead of the growth by strengthening the “previously constructed line along Kadletz Creek and the East Fork of Hayden Creek.” As of 8 a.m. Tuesday, there are 395 firefighters on scene.
RELATED | Red flag warning issued for most of eastern Idaho Tuesday
A red flag warning in effect Tuesday afternoon and evening poses a challenge to the firefighting effort. Gusty winds and low relative humidity, combined with 80-degree temperatures, increases the chance of growth.
“Forecasted wind gusts could approach 45 mph along ridge tops due to a passing dry cold front. There is a high potential for increased fire behavior,” fire officials say in a news release.
Certain areas of Salmon-Challis National Forest in close proximity to the fire remain closed. The specific areas to be aware of are available here. In the event an evacuation is needed, the Lemhi County Sheriff’s Office and officials with the Salmon-Challis National Forest have identified seven evacuation zones.
A map showing the fire’s location is included below. The latest updates on the fire are available here.
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