Firefighters continue to make progress containing two wildfires burning in central Idaho and North Idaho. In central Idaho, fire officials reported the Bench Lake Fire burning in Idaho’s Sawtooth National Forest is 23% contained, up from 13% reported Monday.
Fire officials, in a news release, credit progress containing the eastern edge of the Bench Lake Fire to efforts of fire crews and aviation resources.
There are 468 firefighters — along with six helicopters and two scooper planes — fighting the fire, which grew slightly to 2,595 acres.
Fire officials report additional gains on the fire’s northwest portion, where crews reduced heat with portable pumps and hoses and completed handlines.
The cause of the fire — which started July 11, eight miles south of Stanley — remains under investigation, fire officials said.