Update: Power Line fire at over 3,000 acres

UPDATE 8/11/16 4:50 pm: Officials with the Bureau of Land Management say the Power Line fire is now estimated at over 3,000 acres but it should be contained tonight.

Fire officials underestimated the size of the fire this morning, which has since been mapped at 3,106 acres. The Incident Commander is expecting the fire to be fully contained this evening.

Fire activity has been minimal Thursday and was mainly confined to interior areas where there is a large amount of fuel to burn.

The cause is still under investigation but it is believed to have been started by lightning that was seen in the area earlier in the week.

UPDATE 8/11/16 10:50 am

The Power Line fire was estimated at 1,000 acres Thursday morning.

The Eastern Idaho Interagency Fire Center said firefighters made progress on the western edge of the fire overnight, but erratic winds and passing thunder cells allowed it to spread.

Numerous power lines and wind turbines are in the area, creating safety concerns for firefighters.

But, the fire is now 10 percent contained. There were 85 firefighters assigned to the fire, including 14 engines, 4 dozers, 2 water tenders, and 1 helicopter. A Fort Hall hand crew was also on its way to the fire Thursday morning.

UPDATE: 8/11/16 8:45 a.m.

The Power Line Fire was estimated at 500 acres Wednesday night. It started on Fort Hall lands at around 2:45 p.m. Wednesday.

The Eastern Idaho Interagency Fire Center said crews from the Bureau of Land Management, Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Power County and Chubbuck Fire Department are assisting Fort Hall tribal firefighters.

Aircraft dropped water and retardant on the fire until sunset. The VLAT (Very Large Air Tanker) made three drops on the fire. Five other air tankers and 2 single engine air tankers assisted.

The fire was pushing to the east, driven by erratic winds. It is burning primarily in grass and sage intermixed with pinyon and juniper trees.

No homes are threatened. The Garden Creek and Arbon Valley Roads are closed for public safety.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

UPDATE 8/10/16 8:00 p.m.: Fort Hall Fire Chief Brian Briggs said crews are currently estimating the fire to have now burned at least 200 acres. He said currently the fire is being wind-driven, making it tough for crews.

There are helicopters and other air support working on the fire.

Briggs said currently, he didn’t know of any evacuations that had been called for.

He said the fire was reported between 2 and 3 p.m. Wednesday afternoon.

Original Story: A new wildfire is burning on reservation land near Arbon Valley.

According to crews with the Bureau of Land Management the fire has burned around 100 acres so far. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

The fire is on reservation property and the mitigation efforts are under Fort Hall Jurisdiction. Teams from Power County, the BLM and the U.S. Forest Service are also assisting.

We’ll continue to provide details as we receive them.