Fire
Industry News
Soldier Mountain Ski Area near Fairfield, ID was slated to open a new Mountain Bike trail network this weekend. Unfortunately, lightning started a fire on Aug. 5th, paired with high fire danger in the Sawtooth National Forest. The fire exploded by late Friday and had tripled in size by Saturday, fueled by high winds. The fire sat at 684 acres on Friday, growing to 2,149 acres by Saturday 4 pm. Saturday was the planned opening of the new bike trail network.
In a statement on their Facebook page Saturday afternoon, Soldier Mountain Ski Area had this to report.
“We are heartbroken to inform you that the Phillips Fire passed directly through the heart of our beautiful mountain. The lodge and lifts are still intact, but the bridge that gives access to the resort was destroyed. Since the fire is still an active threat, we will have to wait to further assess the extent of the damage.”
– Soldier Mountain Ski Area Facebook Page
The Forest Service has called for reinforcements from the Great Basin Incident Management Team 3. This agency is now leading the fight as of Sunday morning. The Camas County Rural Fire Department is providing assistance protecting structures while the other agencies are battling the blaze. As of Monday morning, the fire is 7% contained and down to 2,112 acres.
