Idaho ski resort partially reopens as crews make progress on wildfire
Several fires near Cascade have been engulfed by the Rock Fire, which now spans 2,338 acres after crews have spent several days working to contain it.
Several small fires erupted from lightning strikes at about 10 p.m. Tuesday. They then merged as the largest of them, the Rock Fire, consumed the rest, according to a Thursday morning news release from the U.S. Forest Service.
The fire is centered just 1.5 miles south of Tamarack Resort, which closed all operations Thursday. The resort reopened several of its amenities Friday, according to a Tamarack news release.
Officials from the ski resort said the golf course, dining, village services and some activities such as live music and trivia would resume and move indoors if possible. The resort’s marina, ziplines, mid-mountain lodge and activities that require use of its ski lifts — like mountain biking and hiking — are still closed, the news release said.
In a Friday news release, Forest Service officials said the fire had neared Tamarack’s Bliss ski run, where crews were “aggressively working to keep it in check there.”
The agency said crews kept growth to a minimum overnight and planned to tackle the blaze with aerial retardant drops on Friday.
The Valley County Sheriff’s Office issued a Level 1 evacuation alert, prompting area residents to be “Be Ready” to leave, at about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday. The order was still in effect Friday morning.
“The ready order is being released today so residents can have adequate time to pre-plan. The areas of notification are WM 05, WM 06, and WM 07. On West Mountain Rd, from W. Roseberry Rd, south to Bear Trail,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a Wednesday Facebook post.
Firefighters built containment lines and prepped “defensible space” around structures, including housing, according to Forest Service officials. Fire crews, aircraft, engines and bulldozers were being used to fight the fire with a “full suppression” strategy, the Forest Service said.
This includes three Hotshot crews, over 30 people on hand crews, 11 engines and two bulldozers, the release said.
The release also said there were several long-range spot fires found within the ski runs of Tamarack Resort, but crews were able to suppress them.
To follow updates on the fire and evacuation notices, go to the Valley County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page or call their office at 208-382-5160.
This story was originally published August 14, 2025 at 12:47 PM.
