Fire near Red Fish Lake grows to over 700 acres, Lodge remains closed

STANLEY, Idaho (KIFI) - The Bench Lake Fire south of Stanley has grown to 738 acres, fire crews reported Monday.

The fire started on July 11 and is zero-percent contained.

Crews said cooler temperatures and higher humidities helped firefighting efforts on Sunday. They are focusing on containing small fires outside of the main fire's edge, they said. This is concentrated primarily along the Redfish to Bench Lakes trail system.

Aircraft and helicopters have poured over 370,000 gallons of water on the fire from Redfish Lake. Gusty winds in the evening forced the aircraft to stop around 5:30 p.m.

Over 200 firefighting personnel are assigned to the incident and additional resources are being mobilized for full suppression effort.

A structure protection group continues to work diligently at the north end of the lake. Water pumps and hoses are being proactively deployed near Redfish Lodge and other structures.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

The Redfish Lake recreation complex, including the lodge, remain closed.