BY KAREN BOSSICK
A firefighter was injured Saturday fighting the Grouse Fire six miles northeast of Pine. He was treated at a hospital and released.
The fire, which began Sept. 6 in the vicinity of Roads 166 and 166e, forced the evacuation of campers. It is currently 3,975 acres, having grown 600 acres on Sunday, and still zero percent contained. The fire has closed Sawtooth National Forest campgrounds Abbot, Chaparral, Bird Creek, Shake Creek and Baumgartner, as well as dispersed sites in the area.
The Boise National Forest’s Elks Flat Campground remains open.
Currently, 261 people are assigned to the fire, along with 10 engines, one air attack and three helicopters, according to InciWeb.
Firefighters expect the fire, which is burning in Ponderosa pine, to spread to the south and west. It’s expected that smoke from fires in western Idaho, Oregon and California may affect firefighting efforts and visibility, as will warmer temperatures later this week.
The cause is still under investigation but thought to be human caused. Forest patrols say they are still finding abandoned campfires. Forest visitors are reminded to douse fires with water or dirt, stirring the mixture to completely put the coals out.