Lightning-sparked Idaho wildfires include Rainbow Fire at Brundage ski area
Update: On Thursday morning, a spokesperson for Brundage told the Idaho Statesman the wildfire, dubbed the Rainbow Fire, ignited near the summit ridge and moved north toward the Hidden Valley trail — away from the Bluebird lift terminal and other infrastructure.
There was no fire growth throughout the day, according to a news release from Brundage Mountain on Thursday night, but crews were still on site to make sure they have containment.
“The firefighting efforts over the past 24 hours have been remarkable,” Brundage GM Ken Rider said. “The weather was wild but the response has been extremely effective. We want to sincerely thank all the firefighters for their tireless efforts.”
Original story:
A thunderstorm Wednesday evening sparked several wildfires in Southwest Idaho, according to reports from the U.S. Forest Service and social media users.
In a Facebook post updated around 9:20 p.m., the Payette National Forest said a new blaze, dubbed the Rainbow Fire, was burning on top of Brundage Mountain. On Thursday morning, a spokesperson for Brundage told the Idaho Statesman the fire ignited near the summit ridge and moved north toward the Hidden Valley trail — away from the Bluebird lift terminal and other infrastructure.
The Forest Service said in its post that smokejumpers and three engines were already on the Rainbow Fire, which was initially reported to be about 15 acres in size. An update Thursday morning said the fire was actually closer to 5 acres. The agency said the flames were visible from McCall and New Meadows.
The Rainbow Fire was the latest in a slew of new fires sparked in the Payette National Forest. Officials reported more than a dozen fires sparked by lightning since Tuesday evening.
A Facebook post from the Owyhee County Sheriff’s Office reported a fire near Homedale — about 40 miles west of Boise — around 9:45 p.m. The size of the fire wasn’t immediately clear.
Social media users on Twitter and Facebook also reported a fire near Weiser High School. No official information was immediately available on the fire, though reports indicated it may have been contained Wednesday evening.
This story was originally published September 7, 2022 at 10:33 PM.
