TETONIA, Idaho — A new fire cropped up in Tetonia on Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 9, according to Teton County Fire and Rescue (TCFR).
The fire sprang up across from the Tetonia fairgrounds, about a mile south of town off N 3000 W. TCFR crews responded and found that it was initially five to 10 acres in size, a number that has since grown to be approximately 100 acres as of Thursday morning. The fire is burning in grass and a mature stand of cottonwood trees.
TCFR reports that it is 40% contained, but that toppling trees are posing an “extreme risk to firefighter safety.” Full containment is expected to take “multiple days.”
Between eight and 10 structures in the immediate area are considered threatened. There is a voluntary evacuation notice for the immediate area, TCFR said. A partial road closure is in place on 3000 W to allow firefighters room to work. The incident is being handled as an interagency effort by TCFR, Caribou-Targhee National Forest and Idaho Dept. of Lands. Jackson Hole Fire/EMS has also participated in the effort.
“There has been no damage to structures or losses,” TCFR posted to Facebook on Thursday morning. “There is no significant threat to the community of Tetonia at this time.”
TCFR noted that the cause of the fire remains under investigation and is believed to have been human-caused, owing to the absence of storms and lightning in the area as well as nearby power lines being intact. Fall River Rural Electric Cooperative has been involved in looking into the situation, and in de-energizing threatened and damaged lines near the fire.
It’s been a very busy wildfire season for first responders in the Wydaho region, and TCFR is urging the community to do its part.
“We have experienced three additional emergencies in the county during this incident and we’re working to prioritize and respond to those calls for service,” TCFR posted to Facebook on Wednesday. “We are pleading with residents and visitors to use extreme caution working or recreating outdoors. Conditions are ripe for fires like this one to exceed our response capabilities. There are NO burn permits allowed to be activated due to heat, low humidity and winds.”
