A helicopter makes a drop on a dozer line around a home to protect it
from the Beaver Creek Fire on Sunday, Aug. 18, 2013 in outside of
Ketchum, Idaho.
/
Ashley Smith,AP Photo/Times-News
Updated 9:16 PM ET
BOISE, Idaho
Fire managers expressed optimism Sunday in their battle against a
wildfire that has scorched nearly 160 square miles and forced the
evacuation of 2,300 homes near the central Idaho resort communities of
Ketchum and Sun Valley.
Officials said the blaze had grown by only
about 12 square miles because of cloud cover the day before and the
arrival of additional crews and equipment. Many firefighters worked
Sunday to create protective firebreaks, or gaps in vegetation.
"Today
they're very optimistic that we will reinforce those lines in case the
fire does flare up as we saw on Thursday and Friday," fire spokeswoman
Shawna Hartman said.
More than 1,200 people and 19 aircraft were
battling the lightning-caused Beaver Creek Fire, which started Aug. 7
and was 9 percent contained. Nearly 90 fire engines also were in the
region, many protecting homes in the affluent area where celebrities
like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Hanks and Bruce Willis own pricey
getaways.
Hartman said Sunday retardant was being dropped on the
flank of Bald Mountain — the Sun Valley Resort's primary ski hill — to
reinforce a fire line. That meant the famed ski mountain known as
"Baldy" and often used in publicity photos would have a red line of
retardant visible from Ketchum.
Hartman said the drop was part of a
plan by fire managers to bolster protection for the tony resort town,
but he noted the fire had not yet spread to the mountain.
Read More and Watch Video Here
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BOISE,
Idaho (AP) - Some evacuated residents in the central Idaho resort area
of Ketchum and Sun Valley are being allowed to return home Monday.
Blaine
County spokeswoman Bronwyn Nickel says residents of about 100 homes
have been allowed to return but about 2,000 homes remain under mandatory
evacuation orders due to the 160-square-mile Beaver Creek Fire. The
blaze is 8 percent contained.
At the same time, another wildfire
looming over the tiny town of Atlanta about 50 miles to the west has led
to evacuation orders.
Atlanta residents have been told to leave
by noon Monday because of the 3-square-mile Little Queens Fire burning
about 6 miles to the northwest through grass and timber.
Fire managers say a shortage of resources due to other large wildfires in the region is hampering firefighting efforts.
Read More Here
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Some Idaho residents being let back in on pre-evacuation orders
by KTVB / AP / CBS News
khou.com
Posted on August 19, 2013 at 9:30 AM
Updated today at 4:59 PM
BOISE,
Idaho—A playground for some and home to many, the Wood River Valley is
on edge as a massive fire burns dangerously close to homes, stretching
fire crews and keeping officials hopping.
Credit: Courtesy KTVB FirstPerson user pse1313577628839
Flames showing in the KTVB live feed from the Beaver Creek Fire around 6 p.m.
Red
Flag conditions, including higher temperatures and wind gusts up to 38
miles per hour, increased fire activity on the Beaver Creek Fire Sunday
afternoon and evening. And crews expect similar conditions on Monday.
The fire has burned 158 square miles, and has forced 2,250 homes into a mandatory evacuation order.
Another
7700 homes are under what is known as pre-evacuation, giving them time
to pack up essential belongings and get ready to go at a moment’s notice
if the fire grows closer. A total of nearly 10,000 homes are impacted
by the massive fire that a public information officer termed “a beast.”
Credit: Jamie Grey / KTVB
Still a lot of helicopters up on the Beaver Creek Fire
Read More, see Additional Photos and Watch Video Here
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