UPDATE 9:34 a.m.: The McCan fire near Fairfield now has 154 people battling the blaze. The Associated Press reports that fire managers predict they'll have the fire contained Saturday night and controlled on Monday.
As of this morning, the Boise National Forest reports that a total of 18 fires were sparked from lighting Thursday night. The majority of these fires are less than 1 acre in size and are being managed by the Boise National Forest and/or the Bureau of Land Management.
ORIGINAL POST: The McCan fire is burning four miles northwest of Fairfield. Lightning triggered the wildfire Wednesday night and it’s now grown to 5,000 acres.
Shifting winds and steep country have made it tough for firefighters to battle on the ground. Air tankers have been providing major support.
Crews have worked to protect several homes near the Soldier Mountain Golf Course and nearby ranches. Fire experts hope to have the fire contained by Saturday.
Thursday evening, the Twitter feed for the Eastern Great Basin Coordination Center in Salt Lake City noted the McCan fire and the Beaver Creek fire burning nearby are now being called the Beaver Creek Complex.
Meanwhile, storms Thursday afternoon brought lightning to the Boise National Forest starting 13 small fires. All of these blazes are less than an acre. The majority are east of Garden Valley and east of Deadwood Reservoir.
No homes are threatened at this time. David Olson with the Boise National Forest said in a press release smokejumpers, helitack firefighters, fire crews, and engines are working on the fires.
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