REXBURG – Firefighters battling the Maze Fire have successfully built a line around the blaze to prevent it from spreading as they continue working towards full containment and putting it out.
That’s the latest from Madison Fire Department Chief Troyce Miskin Tuesday morning. Air and ground crews from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management are helping with fire suppression efforts, as well as firefighters from other counties.
“We were able to clear most of the resources last night, but we still did maintain control of the area and keep an eye on it,” Miskin tells EastIdahoNews.com. “New and fresh resources came back this morning to start work again. Today, we’ll be focusing on strengthening that line … so that it will stay in that box we’ve contained it in.”
As of Monday at 9 p.m., the Madison Fire Department estimated containment for Wednesday at 10 p.m. The U.S. Wildland Fire Service reported on its Facebook page Monday night that the Maze Fire was 25% contained with full containment expected for Tuesday at 6 p.m.
The 1,579-acre blaze started Monday around 3:45 p.m. west of Rexburg on U.S. Bureau of Land Management property near Beaver Dick Park and the Unified Sportsmen’s Club shooting range at 9029 West Idaho Highway 33.
The flames quickly spread, prompting the early evacuation of the gun range. An evacuation order later went into effect for those living on 6000 West north of West Highway 33.
The evacuation order has since been lifted, but Miskin says homeowners are still on alert to be prepared to leave if circumstances change.
“Things could change, and if so, we would ask them to evacuate again,” Miskin says.
As of Tuesday morning, Miskin says the cause of the Maze Fire is still under investigation. They’re hoping to have the fire fully contained as soon as possible.
"We’ll see what kind of work we can get done today with the temperatures and humidity and whatever winds come up this afternoon,” says Miskin.
John Keyes, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Pocatello, is forecasting 90-degree temperatures in the area near the fire on Tuesday. He says wind gusts will be between 15 and 25 mph.
In eastern Idaho, Keyes says hot and dry conditions will continue through the week, and temperatures are expected to rise. While there is a small chance of thunderstorms on Wednesday, breezy conditions are expected, and temperatures over the next several days will approach 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
“From Thursday to Sunday, temperatures will be climbing and potentially reach 100 degrees,” he says. “The general temperature forecast over eastern Idaho on Sunday is around 95 to 105.”
The hot, dry conditions elevate the fire danger, and Keyes is reminding people to “be careful what you’re doing out there.”
An emergency alert Monday night noted that onlookers in the area were hindering fire suppression efforts and urged people to avoid the area so firefighters had room to do their job.
Miskin says he’s grateful that people want to be helpful, and the best thing the public can do is clear the area so that “they can freely move equipment around without fear of delays or endangering others.”
Miskin says he appreciates all the firefighters and resources from other agencies helping to extinguish the blaze.
“That (collaboration with other counties and agencies) is a great resource available to us to help protect firefighters and the community,” Miskin says. “We couldn’t be more grateful for the help we received last night and will continue to receive over the next few days as we put this fire out.”
This article was originally published by Rett Nelson with East Idaho News.
