Five firefighters hurt in crash

BOISE – Thousands of firefighters battled more than a dozen wildfires in Idaho on Wednesday, including a group of fires on the Boise National Forest north of the state capital where five firefighters were hurt when their vehicle rolled over.

The five firefighters, none of whom faced life-threatening injuries, were returning from the 16-square-mile Middle Fork complex of four fires at about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday when their truck plunged into a steep ravine, said Mary Christensen, a fire spokeswoman based in the mountain town of Garden Valley.

Two firefighters were airlifted to a hospital in Boise, while the other three were taken there by ambulance. Only one remained hospitalized on Wednesday, for observation, Christensen said.

So far this year, there have been at least three reported firefighting accidents in Idaho, none of which resulted in fatalities or serious injuries. A helicopter crash-landed a week ago in the Payette National Forest, slightly hurting a pilot and a mechanic, and two firefighters in the Boise National Forest suffered minor injuries when they were struck by a falling snag last month.

Fire officials said the Middle Fork complex was about 50 percent contained as of Wednesday.

Across the state, hot and dry conditions persisted, with temperatures of nearly 100 degrees.

Only a couple hundred firefighters remained at the Murphy Complex fire, down from more than 1,100, as full containment was expected today. The fire, which has burned more than 1,000 square miles of grassland on the Idaho-Nevada border, started July 16 amid thousands of lightning strikes. It has cost about $9 million to fight and is the nation’s largest wildfire so far this year, the Bureau of Land Management says.

“They are working on building some lines today, but there’s no reason to expect they won’t get it done,” said Skye Buffat, a BLM fire spokeswoman.

Other major wildfires in Idaho:

•The Poe Cabin fire, about 23 miles southwest of Grangeville, was threatening as many as 100 buildings but has been allowed to advance into the Hells Canyon Wilderness area, away from homes. Nearly 700 firefighters were battling the 81-square-mile blaze, and the fire, now 60 percent contained, isn’t expected to be extinguished before autumn rain and snow.

•The 46-square-mile East Zone complex of fires burning in the Payette National Forest about 30 miles northeast of McCall threatens some communities, historic sites, bridges, campgrounds, and structures, fire managers said. The complex was about 20 percent contained, but Wednesday and today were expected to bring hotter temperatures that fire managers said are likely to escalate burning.

“Fire intensity is expected to increase on all fires,” said fire spokesman George Broyles. “When ignited, these fuels will burn with great intensity, casting embers out ahead of the fire, possibly igniting spot fires and contributing to fire growth.”

•The Chimney Complex, burning on 80 square miles of state and federal lands 19 miles south of Lewiston, was nearly 90 percent contained.

•The Bridge fire was burning on 14 square miles of the Clearwater National Forest about 9 miles southeast of Powell. Firefighters are only monitoring the fire and don’t expect it to be out before October.

•Two new fires, each less than a square mile in size, were reported on the Nez Perce National Forest in north-central Idaho, but fire officials say they are so remote and pose such little risk to private property that they’ll be allowed to burn to reduce fuels.

There are now five so-called “Wildland Fire Use” fires that forest officials are allowing to take their course without any suppression.