TAMARACK, Idaho — As of Friday night, the West State Fire is now 100% contained, according to fire managers. All crews have been taken off the fire and are expected to depart from the site sometime Saturday.
Warnings to Valley County residents that they need to be ready to evacuate at a moment's notice have been rescinded after firefighting crews turned the corner in the battle against a wildfire burning at Tamarack Resort.
According to resort president Scott Turlington, there was only minimal fire activity overnight. The West State Fire burned 61 acres in total, at one point edging close to one of Tamarack's lodges.
"While the West State Fire burned within 500 feet of our mid mountain lodge and in the vicinity of our Summit Chairlift on Tuesday, we are grateful that the swift and coordinated action of fire crews prevented damage to either one," Turlington wrote in a statement.
Tamarack's lift maintenance crew has inspected the Summit Lift Wednesday "out of an abundance of caution" and confirmed that it was not damaged. The wildfire will not affect the resort's ski season, which is projected to open on Dec. 11, officials say.
West State Fire is 70% contained
Turlington said the ski resort operations team turned on the snow guns to help quell the fire, and fire crews dipped into the snowmaking water lines to help refill their water trucks.
According to the Idaho Department of Lands, the fire is at 70% containment, with wetter and cooler weather on the horizon. Firefighters began demobilizing Thursday, and are expected to be fully finished with the West State Fire by Saturday.
"Tamarack is grateful for the efforts of all the crews who fought the West State Fire from the air and ground, including Donnelly and McCall Fire Departments, Southern Idaho Timber Protective Association, the Idaho Department of Lands, the Payette National Forest and the Boise National Forest," Turlington wrote.
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