Containment of Ridge Creek Fire at 32%

The Ridge Creek Fire grew to 4,360 acres over the weekend, but containment also climbed to 32%, with a plan to extinguish the remaining heat sources in place.

The evacuation status for the Bunco area was downgraded Monday to Level 1 or "Get Ready."

“We feel very confident that the lines that we have on the north line of the fire will hold the fire,” Gold Team Operations Trainee Jason Kulinski said in an online community meeting Sunday.

With weather conditions Sunday that were hotter than expected, little to no cloud cover and zero humidity Monday, there was the potential for increased fire behavior.

"Fire potential is greater today than it has been during the last several days," said a Monday update from the incident management team.

Firefighters were able to take advantage of moisture and showers last week with minimal growth from the fire to cut in more defenses.

“We have had about 300 acres of growth this week,” fire behavior analyst Kelly Cable said during the community meeting. “Most of that growth has been smoldering and creeping.”

Wood chipping on Bunco Road was nearly complete Monday and hand or dozer containment lines have been connected on the western side of the perimeter.

In the rocky terrain on the northern ridge, fire crews created dozer lines at summits for defensible space, and air support was targeting heat signatures with water drops over the weekend.

Securing homes is always a priority and a structure protection group is working with local cooperators in the Trapper’s Creek and Bunco Road communities to monitor fire conditions.

The Idaho Department of Lands and U.S. Forest Service will maintain closures on forest service roads as long as conditions are unsafe for users due to the fire.