A wildfire burning east of Emmett has now grown to almost 1,000 acres.

The Sand Hollow Fire started Wednesday evening about 1.5 miles east of the town in the area of Frozen Dog Road and Sand Hollow Road.

Efforts to contain the flames were hampered by sandy soil and steep terrain, said a spokesman for the BLM. Windy weather also caused the fire to grow significantly overnight.

The Bureau of Land Management says air tankers started attacking the fire early this morning.  Other federal resources on scene include six heavy engines, two bulldozers, five tankers and four hand crews.  The BLM says these crews made progress fighting the fire and have allowed fire crews from Emmett, Gem County and Star to leave.

Some residents voluntarily evacuated the area as flames pushed closer to their homes.  The BLM says the threat to structures has now diminished and no evacuations have been ordered.

So far, there's been no word on what sparked the fire.

A BLM spokesperson says officials hope to have the fire contained by 6 p.m. Friday.