Fire lines hold during the night; Howe Peak Fire reaches 7,300 acres and is 25% contained
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HOWE — Fire containment lines held during the night in Butte County, and cooler temperatures helped firefighters get a better handle on the Howe Peak Fire.
The blaze started at around 1 p.m. Thursday along Idaho Highway 33 south of Howe. In the afternoon, the fire got within a mile of the community before shifting directions. During the night, firefighters secured the east and north sides of the fire, which further directed the fire away from houses, according to a U.S. Bureau of Land Management news release.
As of Friday morning, the fire had grown to 7,300 acres but was about 25% contained. The fire is still moving to the west, burning brush and grassland. No structures are currently threatened, and those who had to evacuate have been allowed to return to their homes.
RELATED | Howe Peak Fire shifts away from community; evacuation on standby
The power in Howe remains still out. Rocky Mountain Power is working to replace damaged utility poles and estimates power will be restored to the community by 6 p.m. Friday.
The fire is expected to become more active Friday afternoon due to wind and high temperatures. Full containment of the fire is still estimated at 6 p.m. Saturday.
About 140 firefighters from the BLM, National Forest Service and Idaho National Laboratory are working to contain the fire.
Officials say the fire is human-caused, but they have not released any more details about it.
EastIdahoNews.com will update this article as more details are released.