Monday: Storms spark ten fires in area

Boise BLM fire crews are responding to a number of lightning-cause wildfires generated by Sunday night's storm that passed through the area.

Resources are being called in from out of the area to assist with the blazes. Several of the fires remained unstaffed as of Monday morning until additional resources are able to arrive.

The largest of the fires is the Big Hill fire, 20 miles South of Bruneau, which as of Monday morning had consumed 20,000 acres

The BLM committed seven engines, a dozer and a water tender.

Several fires were triggered in the Mayfield/Orchard area.

The East Fire has burned 1,500 acres 3.5 miles West of Orchard.

Seven engines, a dozer, a water tender and four air tankers are fighting the fire.

Four miles northwest of Orchard is the Power Fire, which also has burned at least 1,500 acres as of midmorning Monday. That fire is currently unstaffed.

The Union Fire has burned 250 acres six miles northwest of Orchard. The BLM has committed two engines, a dozer and a water tender to that blaze.

The Char Fire has burned 75 acres six miles east of I-84 near Blacks Creek Road. Six engines have been sent to that fire.

The Benny Fire is burning 12 miles east of Mountain Home. So far it has consumed about 400 acres. The BLM has sent two engines, one crew and one water tender to the fire.

The Morrow Fire has burned 700 acres four miles North of Glenn's Ferry. A total of seven engines and a dozer have been sent there.

The Blair Fire, burning eight miles north of Glenns Ferry, is unstaffed. It's current size as of midmorning Monday was unknown.

The North Char Fire, burning on the south side of Lucky Peak Reservoir, also is unstaffed and its size not known at this time.

A small five-acre fire at milepost 101 on I-84 has been controlled by BLM crews.

Sunday nights storm also triggered a number of power outages in the area, either due to the fires or the wind.

In Mountain Home, several localized but relatively brief blackouts occurred. But a longer one, nearly an hour, happened when a power line fell on a tree, sparking a fire. City fire crews put the fire out after Idaho Power shut off power to the fallen line.

At least three substations were knocked off line and as of mid-morning Monday the station providing power to the King Hill area, Hammett and parts of Glenns Ferry was still down. Although power was restored in most of those areas, King Hill remained without power.

An Idaho Power spokesperson said both wind and the fires in the area were responsible for the outages.