UPDATE: Lavaside Fire destroys one house, a trailer home, and damages multiple other residences
Published at | Updated atUPDATE:
Bingham County Sheriff Craig Rowland confirmed the Lavaside Fire has completely destroyed one house, in addition to an abandoned trailer home, in the area of 700 North in Bingham County.
One other house was severely damaged, and multiple others have minor damage. The damage occurred later in the day Thursday, officials said.
As of 2 p.m. Friday, fire crews are continuing to protect structures and extinguish hot spots. Fire behavior has reduced significantly from Thursday. Smoke will likely be visible throughout the day, according to a recent BLM social media update.
The sheriff’s office and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management also confirm the evacuation recommendations are no longer in effect surrounding the Lavaside Fire.
ORIGINAL STORY:
FIRTH — High winds caused by storms late Thursday kept the Lavaside Fire very active throughout the night, according to U.S. Bureau of Land Management officials.
Thankfully, officials said the activity remained mostly inside the current fire area. BLM spokesman Chris Burger said the fire remains mapped at 1,192 acres and didn’t expand beyond that area during the night.
Burger said the fire activity died down after 3 a.m. Friday.
RELATED | Lavaside Fire reaches nearly 1,200 acres. Homes remain threatened.
Containment of the fire remains at 25%. About 100 firefighters from across eastern Idaho will continue to reinforce fire lines throughout Friday in hopes of containing more of the fire. Full containment is still expected on Saturday evening.
There are still threatened structures — including homes — within the fire area. Protecting those structures is a priority for firefighters, Burger said. Officials say one home was damaged on Thursday, but no other reports about damage have been released.
Bingham County Sheriff Craig Rowland confirmed an evacuation order is still in place on 700 North in Firth. Evacuated residents will be allowed to check on their homes today, but the order itself remains in place until further containment has been reached.
The Lavaside Fire started burning on Wednesday afternoon near Hell’s Half Acre west of Firth. The majority of the fire’s growth happened Thursday as a result of high winds, which fanned the flames from 200 acres to well over 1,000 acres by the evening.
EastIdahoNews.com will update this story as more details are released.
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