Wildland Fire

Fire Update: Idaho’s Magic Valley Burning, More Fires Spreading

By Bea Gordon, 8-24-10

	The Arthur 2 fire visible from the East Entrance of YNP. Photo courtesy of InciWeb.

What looked like a slow fire season last week changed dramatically as new and recent fires picked up across Wyoming, Colorado, Montana and Idaho. 

In Idaho, the lightning-sparked Long Butte Fire has covered the Magic Valley, burning more than 327,800 acres. It’s listed as 10-percent contained after heavy winds picked up two small fires Saturday night.

Numerous structures are threatened as the fire grows. After jumping the Snake River, the fire burned power poles, wind turbines and charred two smaller buildings.  The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality has since declared the Twin Falls area “unhealthy” for area residents. 

In Colorado, the Alkali Fire has burned nearly 8,000 acres. Also ignited by lightning, the fire north of Maybell is primarily burning on private land.

High winds combined with unusual storm cells, leading the fire to grow nearly 1,000 acres in two hours on Wednesday. The blaze created a phenomenon known as a “fire tornado” late that same afternoon.

The fire engulfed one outbuilding on a private ranch as well as an estimated 800 acres of federal lands.

In Montana, the man-made Stump Gulch Fire three miles northeast of Columbus has burned about 10,000 acres and is reportedly 85-percent contained. Burning mostly in timber and hardwood litter, the fire’s pricetag was around $250,000 by Monday evening for 197 personnel, one hand crew and 28 engines. 

Near Troy, seven fires have burned in eight days, all of them reportedly man-made.  The first four fires were reported August 7-9, while the last three were reported over the weekend of Aug. 14-15.

In Wyoming, the Arthur 2 Fire is following similar path to its predecessor, Arthur 1, which flared in 2001. As of today, officials estimate the fire has burned roughly 200 acres. The blaze is visible from Yellowstone National Park’s East Entrance, but has not resulted in any closures to date. 

The park’s fire management team has downgraded the severity of the fire and anticipate cooler temperatures and light rain. Resources have been withdrawn from the region due to decreased risk. 

Like this story? Get more! Sign up for our free newsletters.