Wildfire, Ada
- When
- October 2, 11:30 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
- Where
- Ada County, 5 mi N of Eagle
- Coordinates
- 43.451, -116.241 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Wildfire in Idaho, October 2 to 3, 1997
During the late morning of October 1st a range fire began when a resident lost control of a rubbish burn. The fire quickly spread and moved north from Ada County into Gem County driven by gusty winds.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 2
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS BOI wrote it up.
During the late morning of October 1st a range fire began when a resident lost control of a rubbish burn. The fire quickly spread and moved north from Ada County into Gem County driven by gusty winds. Two hundred fire fighters, 20 trucks and two air tankers were needed to fight the blaze which burned 9207 acres of range land before being brought under control on the evening of October 3rd. No damage to structures was reported, however at one point the fire moved to within 40 yards of a shed containing explosives for a mining operation.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
2 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
Wildfire, Gem
- When
- October 2, 8:00 PM MST to October 3, 5:00 PM MST
- Where
- Gem County, 8 mi SE of Emmett
- Coordinates
- 44.062, -116.397 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Wildfire
- A fire burning in wildland vegetation, with its acreage and damage where known.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- High Wind in Colorado, October 2, 1997
- High Wind in Colorado, October 2, 1997
- Tornado and Flooding in Arizona, October 2 to 22, 1997
- Flash Flood and Hail in Utah, October 2, 1997
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Florida, October 2, 1997
- Flash Flooding in Puerto Rico, October 2, 1997
- High Wind in Oregon, October 2, 1997
- Flood in Puerto Rico, October 2, 1997
- Damaging Wind in Florida, October 2, 1997
- High Wind in Oregon, October 2, 1997
- Waterspout in Florida, October 2, 1997
More
Every storm in Idaho in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Idaho, October 1997
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5621706, 5621707.