BOISE, Idaho — A fast-moving fire in Washington County is forcing nearby residents to evacuate.
The Woodhead Fire burning east of Brownlee Summit had scorched 15,000 acres as of late Tuesday night and was "actively growing with extreme fire behavior," according to fire officials.
The nearby communities of Seid Creek, Pine Creek Estates, Advent Gulch, Rush Creek, West Pine Road and Mill Creek Road areas have all been asked to leave. Tuesday night, additional evacuations were ordered for the Cemetery Road, Cow Creek, and Goodrich areas.
The small town of Cambridge is also directly in the fire's path.
"Everything is replaceable except for the kids," said Corey Morgan, the Cambridge Public Works superintendent.
No evacuation orders are currently in place for Cambridge, but Morgan says the flames are visible from his house and have frightened his young daughter.
"She tends to have some anxiety issues and she was having a real hard time with it last night because she could see the glow of the fire and just looking out the kitchen window, we could see the glow on the ridge," Morgan said.
The fire has shut down Highway 71 from 4th Street in Cambridge to the Oregon border, a 27-mile stretch.
If residents are asked to leave, Morgan is worried about visitors creating a traffic jam.
"My only concern is that we are going to be inundated with people going the same way," he said. "We are just adding to the traffic we are not used to up here."
The Cambridge School District announced in a Facebook post late Tuesday that it was canceling school for all students on Wednesday. Anyone who has been displaced by the fire can stay at the Cambridge High School gym.
Fire officials with the Payette National Forest say their biggest challenge battling this fire is a lack of resources.
If the flames continue to grow and force Morgan and his family to evacuate, he said they will be ready.
"I would just tell the kids grab what you can grab clothes-wise in your hands and go, anything other than that is not that big of a deal," he said.
The cause of the Woodhead Fire is still under investigation.
Gretchen Parsons is an anchor, reporter and producer at KTVB since 2016. You can follow her on Instagram @gretchenparsonsKTVB or @gretchenKTVB on Twitter.