What’s with all the smoke in East Idaho?
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IDAHO FALLS – Several of you have called and emailed our newsroom asking why there’s so much smoke in the air.
We contacted the Idaho Falls Fire Department Saturday morning and were told it’s due to wildfires burning in Twin Falls and Boise. Currently there are no fires burning on the east side of the state but officials are monitoring conditions closely.
More than a dozen fires are currently burning in Idaho, according to the federal fire mapping program.
The massive Soda Fire on the Idaho/Oregon border has moved quickly and so far, more than 265,000 acres have burned. Officials report some 500 firefighters are working to fight the huge blaze.
KTVB reports the fire’s movement prompted the Owyhee County Sheriff on Friday to issue some evacuation recommendations for people living near Murphy – specifically, in the Reynolds Creek area.
“We’ve lost at least one residence, a lot of buildings and cabins,” Owyhee County Sheriff Perry Grant told KTVB. “Some people are going to want to fight tooth and nail for their properties and I understand that. What we’re telling them is that if they have an opportunity to leave, now would be a good time to leave.”
In the Magic Valley, BLM crews responded to four new fires on Friday.
KMVT reports hundreds of acres burned in separate fires near Hagerman, south of Bliss, near Coonskin Butte, and seven miles south of Shoshone.
Some roads were closed as firefighters battled the fires but no one was evacuated and crews are expected to have the fires contained today.
Stay with EastIdahoNews.com for updates throughout the weekend.
Photos courtesy of BLM Idaho and KTVB
Click here for more information on the fires burning in the Boise area.
Click here for more information on the fires burning in the Magic Valley.