BOISE, Idaho — The Claremont Fire is estimated at around 6,500 acres burned, but that hasn't changed much since Tuesday night as containment remains the name of the game.
On Wednesday, the skies were quiet as most of the aircraft have flown out of the area and on to other fires in the region, and firefighters' efforts turned towards strengthening the line along the Ridge Road above the fire.
WATCH|Check out the video to see what the Claremont Fire looks like now
"It’s very crucial that they hold it at that point," said Chad Cline with the Bureau of Land Management. "Usually when you see less aircraft on a fire, it could be a good sign for the fire itself; the priority needing the aircraft on that fire have dwindled."
Cline told us the firefighters didn't have much of a chance of slowing the fire when it burst out on Monday and raged through the dried-out grass and shrubs in the foothills, especially with the complications caused by unexploded ordinances in the area.
However, the objective changed to containing the flanks and using the Ridge Road as a fire line to save homes in the Robie Creek area where evacuation notices were reduced on Tuesday night. Stopping the fire is critical to prevent it from entering a new frontier in the forest on the other side.
"Because if it gets in the timber it is a whole different story," said Cline. "That's where we were seeing the evacuation notices because they wanted to make sure they could hold that upper Ridge Road down into Rocky Canyon."
The quiet skies were a stark contrast to the aerial assault by helicopters and a variety of planes the last few days. Chuck Higgs came out to Lucky Peak to see the super scoopers; he has been taking pictures since Monday, and he's both grateful and impressed with the effort shown by the pilots.
"My hats off to them," said Higgs. "They not only fly in difficult conditions. but also there's a number of power lines up in that area and these guys are flying in and out of those things."
It's also important to acknowledge the firefighters on the ground because sometimes they don't get enough credit because it's difficult to showcase them in action. These heroes work in some of the most demanding conditions, doing a dangerous job.
So far, the Claremont Fire hasn't destroyed any homes; the cause of the fire remains under investigation, and I'm planning on checking out the damage to the trails in the Ridge to Rivers system on Sunday, as that closure is expected to end Saturday night at 11:59 p.m.
