UPDATE (as of 7:00 p.m. on Aug. 2):
According to an email from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the temporary closure of BLM-managed public lands and roads near Pleasant Valley Road has been lifted, due to a cessation in fire activity.
The closure has been lifted as of 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 2.
UPDATE (as of 3:16 p.m. on Aug. 2):
The Range Fire is now fully contained. Over the course of three days, the fire has burnt some 26,922 acres.
Crews will continue to mop up hotspots with the hope of gaining control over the fire by 6 p.m. tonight.
UPDATE (as of 10:04 p.m. on Aug. 1):
The containment time for the Range Fire has been pushed to 6 p.m. on August 2. An estimated control time has yet to be determined.
According to the BLM Idaho Fire Facebook page, access to BLM lands and roads has been closed, except for the lands maintained by Ada County.
Expect road closures in the following areas: the intersection of Pleasant Valley and Kuna Mora Roads extending south to the border of the Orchard Combat Training Center, and from the same intersection eastward to Interstate I-84.
Fire progression has stopped, and crews are working hard to contain the perimeter.
The Bureau of Land Management closed public lands and roads near Pleasant Valley Road as crews work to contain the Range Fire, which has burned just under 27,000 acres since Thursday night.
Officials say the fire began when explosive ordnance disposal teams from Mountain Home Air Force Base detonated an unexploded device at the request of local law enforcement. Fire crews were standing by but had to wait for the disposal team to declare the site clear before moving in.
During that pause, strong winds fanned the area and ignited the fire.
Once cleared, Orchard Fire & Emergency Services deployed 23 firefighters and two dispatchers to the scene for fire attack, water transport, and to evaluate crew members from a Union Pacific train stranded by the fire.
Two Security Operations personnel also helped evacuate the nearby barracks and provided traffic control.
SEE BELOW: Neighborhood Reporter Keith Burrell provides insight into the cause of the Range Fire
The BLM closure near Pleasant Valley Road began at 10 a.m. Friday and includes land between Pleasant Valley and Kuna Mora Roads, south to the Orchard Combat Training Center border and east to Interstate 84. It's expected to remain in effect until 11:59 p.m. Saturday.
Fire officials say forward progression of the fire has stopped, but crews continue reinforcing containment lines and mopping up hot spots.
Evacuation notices for nearby neighborhoods were lifted Thursday morning. Pleasant Valley Road remains open to local traffic only.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
