Firefighters reach 25% containment on Maze Fire; Full containment expected tonight
Seth Ratliff
REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) — Fire crews in Madison County have gained the upper hand on the nearly 1,300-acre Maze Fire. As of 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, firefighters have successfully contained approximately 25% of the fast-moving blaze.
The Madison Fire Department (MFD) first responded to the fire around 3:35 p.m. Monday at 9029 W. Highway 33, west of Rexburg. As they arrived, MFD says crews discovered a rapidly growing brush fire that had began at the Sportsmans Club Gun Range and called in support from surrounding counties.
The “Maze Fire” is currently being managed under a unified command by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Madison Fire Department. Around 80 firefighters from multiple agencies worked the scene Monday night supported by multiple enginees along with ground and air support.
An initial evacuation order was issued around 7:20 p.m. Monday, affecting between 15 and 40 residences, according to volunteers on scene with the American Red Cross. However, the order was lifted later that night as crews gained control of the blaze.
According to U.S. Wildland Fire Service, after a grueling night battling the flames, bulldozers and ground crews completed the initial containment line around 1:00 a.m. Tuesday.
Today, crews are focusing on reinforcing those lines, extinguishing hotspots near the perimeter, and working their way deeper into the interior of the burned area. Resources from the US Forest Service, the BLM Great Basin Unit 3 out of Idaho Falls, and multiple cooperating local agencies remain on the scene assisting with the effort.
According to the USWFS, full containment is estimated by 6:00 p.m. tonight.