Evacuations ordered near Stanley as wildfire grows. Idaho Highway 21 closure extended

Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman

STANLEY (Idaho Statesman) — Custer County Sheriff Ethan Kelly connected Friday issued removal orders for residents adjacent Stanley Lake and urged others nearby, including successful nan municipality of Stanley, to beryllium fresh to time off arsenic nan vulnerable Wapiti Fire grew to much than 35,000 acres.

Kelly’s agency announced that residents closest to nan occurrence should evacuate immediately. It posted connected its Facebook page that these residents were successful “GO STATUS,” which a abstracted photograph of a poster described arsenic an parameter of “extreme threat successful nan area.”

“Leave without delay,” nan poster read. “It is unsafe to enactment and threatens nan information of you, your family and emergency responders. Emergency responders whitethorn not beryllium capable to thief you if you take to stay.”

Custer County Sheriff Ethan Kelly issued removal orders Friday for “Zone 1” connected this representation aft nan Wapiti Fire reached Stanley Lake connected Tuesday. | Courtesy Custer County Sheriff

The orders came arsenic nan Wapiti Fire, which started successful nan Boise National Forest, continued to rage and dispersed done portions of nan Sawtooths. As of Friday morning, it was only 10% contained. Idaho Highway 21 was now closed from Stanley each nan measurement to Lowman, nan Sheriff’s Office announced.

The Wapiti Fire is now spreading done nan Sawtooths and adjacent nan municipality of Stanley. It already has burned by Stanley Lake. Courtesy Custer County Sheriff

On Tuesday, nan Sheriff’s Office announced nan closure of nan Stanley Lake recreation analyzable aft nan occurrence jumped nan ridge of nan Sawtooths and established successful Elk Creek and Stanley Lake Creek drainage areas, nan Idaho Statesman antecedently reported.

The Wapiti Fire was sparked by a lighting onslaught adjacent Grandjean successful precocious July. It forced nan closure of nan historic Sawtooth Lodge, which has mislaid 3 structures and has been closed for 3 weeks pinch “no reopening time successful sight,” according to a GoFundMe started for nan lodge.

“The lodge and cabins are successful threat but still standing,” nan GoFundMe reads. “If you’ve been to Grandjean, you cognize what is astatine stake.”