TAMARACK, Idaho — A fire is actively burning on the West Mountain of Tamarack Ski Resort doubled in size by Tuesday morning, officials say.
The West State Fire started at about 1 p.m. on Monday and grew to about 50 acres by evening. As of 8 a.m. Tuesday, the fire was measured at 110 acres, with zero percent containment, according to Payette National Forest spokesman Brian Harris.
As of about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, the fire is at 61 acres and 0% contained. However, officials added that the fire has stayed inside a set perimeter and no structures are threatened.
Officials added that crews are hoping that rain and possibly snow will move into the region later this week and help with the fire.
Harris said crews are hoping to keep the fire north of a road that splits the ski run in order to protect other resort buildings. No evacuation orders have been issued.
Valley County Sheriff's Office posted an advisory on its Facebook page urging residents and homeowners to be in the ready stage of preparedness.
That means start preparations before the threat of a wildland fire, so your home is ready. Here are some tips:
- Create defensible space by clearing brush away from your home.
- Assemble emergency supplies and belongings in a safe place and secure your pets.
- Plan escape routes and make sure all those residing within the home know the plan of action.
The sheriff's office will send out notifications with updates and let people if they go to the next phase of action.
A CodeRED alert was sent to residences within Tamarack Resort and to the north to Tamarack Falls. You must have a landline and be signed up to receive CodeRED notifications.
Go to the Valley County website to sign up for the alerts. Share this information with anyone that may have a home or property in the Tamarack Resort or along West Mountain Road towards Tamarack Falls Road.
The Payette National Forest is working with Boise National Forest, Southern Idaho Timber Protective Association and the Donnelly Fire Department to put out the fire.
West State Fire
Air tankers and helicopters have been called in for containment efforts Tuesday, and more fire resources will be allocated.
The official cause of the fire has not yet been determined, but Harris told KTVB, it was human-caused.
Tamarack President Scott Turlington declined to do an interview with KTVB, citing the active nature of the fire, but thanked first responders in a statement. The statement is included below:
Tamarack cannot express enough gratitude to the first responders who have been working tirelessly on this fire since yesterday afternoon. The Forest Service, Donnelly Fire Department, Southern Idaho Timber Protective Association, McCall Fire Department, and others, have all worked around the clock and throughout the night to contain the fire.
As of this morning, all of the fire activity has remained above the mid mountain area. No injuries have been reported by those involved with fighting the fire. None of Tamarack’s assets, lifts, or mid mountain and summit structures have been damaged, and our snowmaking machines are operating at mid mountain to help deploy water on and around the structures located there.
We truly appreciate all of our first responders who step up for our community when we need them most. Tamarack will continue to receive its updates from the forest service who has control and command of the fire and we will pass those along as we get them.
For additional fire information, Harris encourages folks to call 208-634-0820.
Check back for updates.
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