BOISE, Idaho — The Wapiti fire burning near Grandjean doubled on Thursday night. As of Friday afternoon, it has burned 35,000 acres and is 10% contained.
The fire is prompting evacuation notices in Hanging Valley, Stanley, Summer Homes and the Sawtooth Lodge. Highway 12 is also closed east of Lowman toward Stanley, but Highway 75 is open as an alternate route, according to the Idaho Department of Transportation.
“It's obviously burning out of control, and the fact that it's grown to what it is from just a small lightning strike,” said Jesse Buhler, manager of Sawtooth Lodge.
Buhler said the lodge has already lost at least $150,000 in revenue from having to be closed for evacuation notices. Buhler also owns a cabin in the Summer Homes area, and said there is devastating loss there too.
“We lost seven cabins,” said Dan Marler, who also owns a cabin. “Those are people that I've known most all my life.”
Marler said they are relying on social media and updates from the Forest Service to see if their home is still standing.
“Watching from the outside -- it's scary,” Muhler said.
Going into the weekend, fire officials said windy conditions will continue and there is a chance for more fire growth, but Buhler said he is staying hopeful and resilient.
“It's really sad to see, but we're really hoping that we get some rain in the next couple days, and that temperatures change,” Buhler said.
For more information on the wildfires burning in Idaho, visit our story here.