By Kendra Evensen
Idaho Falls Post Register (Idaho)
Copyright 2006 The Post Register
All Rights Reserved
A fire tearing through grass and sagebrush Wednesday threatened Dubois residents before firefighters got a handle on it.
The Nez Perce Trail Fire ripped through an estimated 800 to 1,200 acres in about 10 hours. It was spotted at around 1:30 p.m. and was contained by 11 p.m. Investigators aren’t sure how it started, but it forced them to shut down Interstate 15 for hours, from Sage Junction to the Montana state line.
For a while, it appeared the blaze would force the evacuation of Dubois’ 642 residents.
“Our main concern was to protect Dubois,” said Joanna Wilson, information officer with the East Idaho Fire Center.
The fire leapt across I-15 and was on the verge of making it into the south part of town, Wilson said, but firefighters were able to hold it.
“I could see yellow smoke from my dispatch office, and there was ash falling in the parking lot,” said Patty Christenson, an emergency dispatcher for Clark County.
By 4:30 p.m., the threat to Dubois had diminished, Wilson said, but erratic winds and dust devils kept firefighters guessing which way the blaze was headed.
That uncertainty forced the Idaho Department of Transportation to close I-15 from Sage Junction to Lima, Mont., and state Highway 22 out of Dubois for several hours. The roads reopened just before 6 p.m.
Here’s a look at the other fires burning in and around eastern Idaho:
Potato Fire in Salmon-Challis National Forest
Origin: July 27
Location: seven miles north of Stanley
Size: 4,467
Resources: 439 personnel, 11 crews, six helicopters, 10 engines and four dozers
Containment: 5 percent
Closures: Portions of Basin Creek, Hardin Creek and Yankee Fork roads are closed, as are Basin Creek, Sawmill Creek, Deadwood Creek and Rankin Creek trails.
Low temperatures and high humidity have slowed the fire’s growth considerably. It increased 15 percent Tuesday, compared to 23 percent Monday and 45 percent Sunday.
More resources have also arrived to help fight the fire, which has cost nearly $1.5 million to combat.
The fire has moved closer to 10 homes and 62 structures in the area; officials will use sprinklers and fire-retardant wrapping to protect the buildings if the flames get too close.
Magpie Fire in Yellowstone National Park
Origin: July 17
Location: Seven miles east of Madison Junction
Size: 1,123 acres
Resources: 11 personnel
Containment: 0 percent
Closures: hiking trails close to the fire
Rain and cool temperatures kept the fire from growing Wednesday, but the weather is expected to warm up today.
Officials aren’t fighting the fire. They are allowing nature to take its course since the flames aren’t threatening park visitors or property. They are concerned that the fire may grow larger, however, and are monitoring it closely.
Jim Creek Fire in Bridger-Teton National Forest
Origin: June 26
Location: 24 miles north of Pinedale, Wyo.
Size: 1,950 acres
Resources: 50 personnel
Containment: 0 percent
Closures: Jim Creek drainage starting at Forest Road 710
Cool weather also kept this fire from growing Wednesday. Officials are keeping tabs on the fire, but are allowing it to burn since it’s not threatening private property or structures. Monitors have reported smoldering in Jim Creek drainage and smoke on Salt Lick Mountain.