Wildfire in Idaho, July 26 to 31, 2000

Eastern Idaho had escaped large wild fires until lightning from a dry thunderstorm outbreak sparked over 40 fires on 07/26. Most of the fires were quickly suppressed , but 9 became much longer lived with 3 of these fires continuing to burn into August. As of the end of July these fires have burned 192,200 acres with costs estimated at $1,455,000. No structures or homes were lost, although a score of homes were threatened in the vicinity of Pocatello and Lava Hot Springs which forced some evacuations. Some crop fields were burned and farm equipment lost, including several harvesters and a pickup truck. Generally the fires consumed sagebrush and juniper with some mixed conifers. The fires were combined administratively by the East Idaho Fire Center into one system know as the Eastern Idaho Complex. The principle fires were: Flat Top located 14 miles west of Aberdeen which had burned 109 square miles before containment. Coffee Point 6 miles northwest of Springfield which had burned 102 square miles before containment. Tin Cup and INEEL fires had merged to burn 76 square miles before containment. These fires had forced the evacuation 450 employees of the Idaho National Engineering and Environment Laboratory for a day. Moonshine, Fisher Springs and Rattlesnake in the Arbon valley in Power county had burned 48 square miles with the Moonshine fire still unconstrained. The West Fork fire near Lava Hot Springs remained uncontained after burning 850 acres. However, it was no longer threatening homes. The Supon fire 20 miles east of Blackfoot has burned 6 square miles and remained uncontained.