DARBY – The Reynolds Lake Fire southwest of Darby has burned over 1,000 acres since Tuesday.
Fire managers say they are working to stop the Lake Reynolds fire while plenty of resources are available and before this summer’s fire season takes off. Helicopters are working and retardant drops are helping allow fire crews to work closer to the blaze.
The blaze made a sprint to the northeast Tuesday toward the community of Alta and some homes in that area — although they are about 10 miles away from the fire line.
Fire managers say that air attack efforts Wednesday helped stop much of the growth.
“When this fire took off — we’re very lucky to have the amount of resources that we have," incident commander Jay Wood said. He added that the fuel conditions in the area aren’t helping firefighters.
“For as green as it is here, you’d think it would still be super wet out, with lots of moisture, but it’s really not. The older, deadened…on the ground is fairly dry and everything is very receptive. The fir and the lodgepole are taking very little fire for them to torch out and throw spots," Wood told MTN News.
He says there are some conditions that threaten the safety of firefighters, including numerous snags in the area that could come down in high winds.
There are also concerns about fire weather on the way. Outflows and storm fronts are predicted to move into the fire area on Friday and over the weekend with a northeasterly push towards those nearby homes. SOC.
Resources are continuing to arrive to battle the Reynolds Lake fire with two more hotshot crews arriving on Thursday. The fire is 0% contained at this time and there are currently 80 people assigned to battle the blaze.
