The Wapiti Fire in Custer County nearly doubled in size over the weekend as evacuation orders remain in effect for parts of the Stanley area.
According to the National Interagency Fire Center, the wildfire grew from 35,000 acres on Friday to 68,457 acres on Sunday. The fire was 0% contained and 461 emergency responders were working to battle the blaze.
The fire, which started July 24 when a lightning strike sparked near Grandjean, spread from east of Stanley Lake to Idaho Highway 21, NIFC said. County officials closed Highway 21 from Stanley to Lowman to allow for firefighting efforts.
The Custer County Sheriff’s Office issued evacuation orders for residents near Stanley Lake on Friday and encouraged other Stanley residents to be prepared to leave if conditions worsened. Those evacuation orders remained in effect Sunday, the Wapiti Fire Information Office told the Idaho Statesman by phone.
The American Red Cross of Idaho and Eastern Oregon opened an evacuation center Saturday at the Stanley Community Center for those in need of a safe place. The community center is located at 510 Eva Falls Ave.
“Leave immediately,” the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post. “It is unsafe to stay and jeopardizes the safety of you, your family, and first responders. First responders may not be able to help you if you choose to stay.”
The fire center said Saturday was the first day without a red flag warning since Wednesday. A red flag warning is issued when warm temperatures, especially low humidity and strong winds combine to create the perfect conditions for increased fire risk, according to the National Weather Service website.
That pause allowed firefighters to make “good progress in assessing current conditions and developing strategic firefighting plans” while continuing to protect structures near the fire, the Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team said in a report Sunday.
“The current focus is on continuing to protect structures and communities with bulldozers and handlines, air sources and hose laying systems to protect endangered values,” the report said. “This is a full-scale suppression fire and opportunities to contain the edge of the fire with control lines will be aggressively pursued.”
The Wapiti Fire Information Office did not respond to the Idaho Statesman’s request for more information.
