STANLEY, Idaho — The Bench Lake Fire continues to burn in the Sawtooth wilderness near Stanley. As of Thursday evening, it had burned 2,037 acres and was 8% contained.
Firefighters are set up at an incident command center, said Joe Schindel, the information officer on the Complex Incident Management Team for the Bench Lake fire.
“There’s a lot of history here,” Schindel said. “A lot of people care about this country."
346 firefighters are working to keep themselves and the structures safe while also preserving the recreation in the Sawtooths, namely Redfish Lake and the Redfish Lake Lodge.
The threat of flames spreading has closed Redfish Lake - including the recreation complex, campgrounds and roads.
Crews have been reaching the fire through boats on the lake and through aircrafts that are dropping them to the site, Schindel said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.