According to the U.S. Forest Service, a popular campground in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area was evacuated due to a wildfire, and the surrounding area was closed. The Bench Lake Fire began about 12:30 p.m. on Thursday near the namesake chain of lakes, according to officials, and by Friday afternoon it had spread to 66 acres. The investigation into the fire’s cause is still ongoing. Redfish Lake Inlet Campground, a four-site campground along the southwest shore of the lake, was evacuated under the direction of the Custer County Sheriff’s Office, according to a news release from the Forest Service. The Bench lakes are roughly a mile away from the campground.
The government announced on Friday that Forest Supervisor Kirk Flannigan intended to declare the whole Redfish Lake complex—including the lodge, all of the neighboring campers, and the trails—to be closed. In the press release, Flannigan stated, “We are letting folks know that the order is coming now in hopes of catching visitors before they head this direction.” “We think it’s better to be safe than sorry, given the concentration of fuels in the Sawtooth Wilderness, the unusual weather pattern we’re having right now, and the proximity of the fire to a very popular recreation destination.”
The neighborhood has a high fire risk, according to officials. A Red Flag Warning, indicating extremely high fire danger, was issued for the region by the National Weather Service. There will be high temperatures and wind gusts. The weather service said that Stanley, which is close to Boise, had a temperature of 87 on Friday due to the heat wave that has touched the Idaho highlands as well. According to the news release on Friday, the forest has dispatched a multidisciplinary incident management team to oversee the fire. These teams are usually called in to deal with very big wildfires or ones that provide unique difficulties. On Saturday night, that crew will assume control from the current incident commander.
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