Bench Lake Fire near Redfish Lake now 8% contained

STANLEY, Idaho (KIFI) - The Bench Lake Fire near Stanley is 8 percent contained and has burned 2,037 acres, according to fire managers Friday morning. That's an increase of 187 acres from Thursday.

346 personnel are assigned to the fire. Fire managers said pumps and hoses continue to spray water to increase the relative humidity, which makes it harder for fire embers to ignite nearby fuels.

Crews have made substantial progress in building containment lines in the extremely rugged terrain, they said in their morning report.

Yesterday, the national wildfire preparedness level reached its peak. During this time, national resources such as hotshot crews and aviation resources are shared or assigned to incidents with the greatest need. Mapping regularity on the Bench Lake Fire may be impacted by competing priorities for infrared fire detection flights. However, specialized aviation resources dedicated to the fire, including scoopers, continue to support firefighting efforts on the ground.