Castle Rock Fire Spreads Up Baldy

Aug 29, 09:47 AM

Current Headlines: By Pete Zimowsky and Heath Druzin, The Idaho Statesman, Boise

Aug. 29--KETCHUM -- A fire on the edge of this resort town made a run up a ski resort peak Tuesday, alarming residents and prompting officials to evacuate 1,400 additional homes.

Smoke engulfed the mountains north of the ski resort, giving the sun a sinister red glow. Fire crews intentionally set burns on some of Sun Valley Resort's ski runs Tuesday night to head off the 44,000-acre Castle Rock Fire before it damages resort buildings or equipment on Bald Mountain, fire spokesman David Olson said.

As firefighters set off a fireworks show of explosives to start the burn, ash rained down and a choking smoke engulfed them.

"We'll be here all night. It's our No. 1 priority," said Logan Ladd, a member of the Kern Valley Hotshots. "We're holding the ridge."

The spreading fire prompted authorities to evacuate the additional homes, bringing the total to more than 2,000 since the fire started Aug. 16, Olson said.

Flames from a spot fire on Bald Mountain were visible from River Run Lodge before firefighters doused them. Residents were visibly upset when they saw a symbol of the town burning, Olson said.

"It just demonstrates the attachment the community has to that area," he said.

Sun Valley ran the chairlifts so they wouldn't overheat as fire burned grass on the runs. Sprinklers were placed on top of the resort's River Run Lodge off Idaho 75. A shift in wind Tuesday afternoon gave firefighters a reprieve, momentarily shifting the fire away from structures on Bald Mountain.

"The wind saved our butts," fire spokesman Doug Abromeit said.

More than 1,600 firefighters are battling the blaze, which is threatening thousands of homes near Ketchum, but has not destroyed any residences. The blaze was 49 percent contained Tuesday, but there is no estimate when the fire will be under control.

Ketchum roads turned into a large parking lot, with traffic jams on Idaho 75, the main road through town. Idaho State Police and Ketchum police officers were at each intersection in an attempt to keep traffic moving.

The traffic jam was not limited to firefighters and evacuating residents. Tourists were still in the area, despite the flames and smoke-obscured views.

The entire River Run side of Sun Valley is now a huge fire camp with tents dotting the landscape, and signs and banners in support of firefighters are ubiquitous in town. The fire sent up a mushroom cloud visible 75 miles away.

Jack Sibbach, a spokesman for the Sun Valley Co., which runs the resort, said its 510 rooms were roughly 90 percent full, though some guests had canceled reservations, including a 36-person group that opted to leave the valley.

"We understand safety has to come first," Sibbach said.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will give Idaho $750,000 to offset the costs of fighting the Castle Rock Fire, according to Gov. Butch Otter's office.

The state also applied for a grant to help pay for the costs of fighting two other large fires -- the East Zone and Cascade complexes -- that have threatened mountain communities.

By Pete Zimowsky and Heath Druzin. The Associated Press contributed to this report

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