WEISER, Idaho — Firefighters say they are making progress on the Tartar Fire, but the work is far from over.
The wildfire has burned more than 155,000 acres in Washington County and is now 66% contained. About 680 firefighters remain assigned to the incident as crews shift their focus to the Mann Creek and Adams Creek areas, where officials say weather over the next several days will be critical to keeping the fire from spreading farther north.
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While firefighters continue working to contain one of the largest wildfires in the country, local ranchers and fire officials say another challenge emerged this week: correcting misconceptions about how they have worked together throughout the response.
The confusion followed a Tuesday update from the Great Basin Complex Incident Management Team, which said firefighters had been "harassed and threatened" in the Devil's Elbow area and had withdrawn from portions of the fire, warning crews would disengage if the behavior continued.
After the update circulated online, some residents interpreted it to mean local ranchers had forced firefighters to leave.
Cody Chandler, a fifth-generation rancher whose family ranches on Devil's Elbow, said that was not what he experienced.
"I feel more blessed from God because I had my entire family with me," Chandler said. "Every one of them is safe."
Chandler said his family has spent the past week protecting homes, helping neighbors and working alongside firefighters.
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"No fire crew that I was with ever pulled out," Chandler said. "We were working together the whole entire time."
He said the misunderstanding created unnecessary tension within the community.
"It even caused a rift between neighbors," Chandler said. "Everything I've done since Saturday night was for the neighbors."
Sarah Damele, another local rancher, said firefighters played a critical role in helping ranchers protect livestock.
As volunteers worked to move cattle from the fire's path, Damele said firefighters cut fences, opened access routes and helped move hundreds of cattle to safety.
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"We were very fortunate," Damele said. "The firefighters opened up, helped us get them through. They even blocked holes to get them to corrals."
Hayley Boss, a division group supervisor trainee on the fire, acknowledged communication challenges during transitions between incident management teams and said some of the early messaging did not reflect what was happening on the ground.
"We've received nothing but support from the locals," Boss said. "I think communication is key... we're working to remedy it."
Boss said firefighters are now concentrating resources in the Mann Creek and Adams Creek corridors, calling the area a critical holding point as weather conditions change over the weekend.
"Man Creek has been really critical," Boss said. "We're starting to focus more on Adams Creek now. If we can hold that junction of Adams and Man, I think we'll be looking good going forward, but it's going to be really weather dependent."
Fire officials said they are continuing to strengthen communication with local ranchers as suppression efforts continue, saying that partnership will remain essential as crews work toward full containment.
