The Williams Creek Fire that forced the evacuation of the small Idaho County backcountry community of Orogrande earlier this week, grew by more than 3,000 acres yesterday (Thur) and is now listed at nearly 9,000 acres.
Fueled by gusty winds and low humidity, the blaze has made a 5- to 6-mile push from the west side of Orogrande.
Crews were busy engaging the fire in and around Orogrande and the Crooked River corridor, extinguishing hot spots and conducting damage assessments and safety hazards that included fallen trees, burned snags and downed power lines.
The fire is still listed at zero percent contained.
The Twin Lakes Fire, about 23 miles southwest of Elk City, is at 907 acres and is also 0% contained.
Firefighters have completed structure protection measures at Square Mountain Lookout and are monitoring fire behavior and fuels conditions.
Overnight temperatures were expected to dip below freezing, which officials believe will moderate fire behavior, although flames could still crown in areas where there are dry conditions and heavy concentrations of bug-killed trees.
