Sharps fire now 60 percent contained

On the Sharps Fire line Wednesday, the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office re-opened the Quiqley Road as far as the Quigley Pond for pedestrian traffic only. The road remains closed to ATV and vehicle traffic.

There are no areas on pre-evacuation or mandatory evacuation orders at the current time.

Today, firefighters used a plastic spherical dispenser (PSD) machine to drop small plastic balls with flammable chemical inside to create a precise burnout operation on the fire line near Porcupine Creek.

The Great Basin Incident Management Team #1 advises that the fire is being heavily monitored. They said smoke and flames will be visible on the interior of the burned area. Swirls of dust and ash also blow through the area for a few weeks after a burn. Experts said that activity can deceive people into thinking the fire has restarted.

The Sharps Fire was mapped at 64,646 acres Wednesday and 60 percent contained.