Wildfire near Pocatello grows to 200 acres
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POCATELLO — A wildfire sparked in Bannock County Sunday afternoon has burned 200 acres and is threatening structures, according to fire officials.
The fire is burning in an area between Pocatello and Inkom known as the Portneuf Gap, according to a news release from the Bureau of Land Management. The BLM is managing firefighting operations for the Gap Fire.
The release says some structures are threatened in “a small area west of Inkom” but did not say how many. Bannock County spokeswoman Emma Iannacone said an evacuation order is in place for anyone on Canyon Road.
Evacuations have been ordered in the area, but a precise location was not immediately available.
Investigators have not determined the cause of the fire, though the BLM said it is burning through grass and brush. The agency did not have an estimated time of containment as of 5:15 p.m.
Several agencies, including U.S. Wildland Fire Service Great Basin Unit 3 -Idaho Falls and the U.S. Forest Service, are assisting with the effort to get control of the blaze. Watch Duty reported that the Forest Service is contributing its Helicopter Bucket Crew to the fight.
The wildfire was first reported at about 1:45 p.m. near the 6000 Block of W. Old Highway 91, fire officials said.
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.
