Bench Lake Fire nearly quintuples in size to 738 acres, no containment

STANLEY — The Bench Lake Fire exploded from an estimated 150 acres Sunday to 738 acres Monday pinch 0% containment. Two scooper planes, 211 firefighting unit connected 5 crews and six engines are fighting nan blaze.

Aircraft person dumped 370,000 gallons of h2o from Redfish Lake connected nan fire. The fire’s maturation was mapped during an infrared flight.

Despite nan flames’ description , cooler temperatures and precocious humidity assisted nan firefighters Sunday, nan Great Basin Complex incident guidance squad #4 reported. The team, directed by Incident Commander Steve Shaw, took complaint of nan incident Saturday evening.

“Hot changeable crews are being positioned to measure wherever they tin prosecute nan occurrence straight by digging handline and utilizing earthy features specified arsenic stone screes to statesman containing nan occurrence perimeter,” a news merchandise stated. The crews are fighting “small fires extracurricular of nan main fire’s edge.”

The unit are looking for “defensible locations to excavation occurrence lines to statesman containing nan occurrence perimeter,” according to a U.S. Forest Service-Sawtooth National Forest Facebook Post.

Firefighters are besides actively engaged “working to protect Redfish Lodge and different buildings” successful nan region, which person not yet been threatened. Water pumps and hoses are being deployed connected nan northbound extremity of Redfish Lake.

The occurrence began astatine astir 12:30 p.m. Thursday successful nan Sawtooth wilderness, EastIdahoNews.com reported previously. It started 8 miles southbound of Stanley.

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The Redfish Lake Recreation Complex — including each trails, roads, campgrounds and nan lodge — was officially closed Friday, “allowing h2o scooping craft and helicopters unobstructed entree to nan reservoir arsenic they person worked continuously to limit nan fire’s growth,” a merchandise stated.

RELATED | ‘Helicopter incident’ during wildfire consequence to Bench Lake Fire

The logic why nan occurrence ignited is nether investigation.

The Bench Lake occurrence burns adjacent Redfish Lake. | Courtesy Sheldon Christensen