Idaho fire near Sawtooth lakes causes road and trail closures, weekend evacuations
A wildfire that has been burning in the Sawtooth Mountains for nearly a month exploded with activity over the weekend, prompting an evacuation and closures of roads, recreation areas and trails.
A lightning strike sparked the Ross Fork Fire on Aug. 14 southwest of Alturas Lake, one of the most popular destinations in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. Fire activity increased dramatically amid “red flag” conditions over Labor Day weekend, with high temperatures and strong wind driving fire toward the Smiley Creek and Sawtooth City areas along Idaho 75.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office said the fire had jumped Idaho 75 and was burning on both sides of the highway.
The increase in fire activity prompted the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office to issue a mandatory evacuation for all cabins, campgrounds and residences around Smiley Creek, Sawtooth City and Alturas Lake on Sunday evening.
The fire, which was nearing 24,000 acres Tuesday afternoon, according to officials, has caused numerous closures in the area. Idaho 75 has been closed intermittently but remained closed Tuesday morning between Baker Creek Road 12 miles north of Ketchum to Pettit Lake Road 16 miles south of Stanley.
The Forest Service has closed swaths of land surrounding the fire, including Pettit Lake and trailhead, Yellowbelly Lake, Pole Creek, Upper Salmon River Headwaters, Frenchman Creek and Alturas Lake. Officials warned hikers and backpackers away from the area over Labor Day weekend, typically a popular time for recreation.
Video shot by Whitney Fenwick showed people swimming, paddling and boating on Redfish Lake over the weekend as fire aircraft touched down to scoop up water for firefighting efforts. According to InciWeb, helicopters are also being used to fight the fire.
Officials estimate the blaze is only 4% contained, with an estimated containment date of Oct. 31.
This story was originally published September 6, 2022 at 12:40 PM.
