Author: KIFI

CNN Newsource

Originally Published: 01 AUG 26 19:20 ET

Updated: 02 AUG 26 07:24 ET

By Dalia Faheid, CNN

Editor’s note: EDITOR’S NOTE:  Follow our live coverage of the wildfires in the Northwest here.

(CNN) — Thousands of families have been ordered to flee their homes as a fast-moving wildfire grows in Spokane County, Washington, filling the skies with thick smoke and backing up traffic on some roads while state officials warn of an incredibly dangerous situation on the ground.

The Old Trails Fire – fueled by extreme fire weather conditions – has burned nearly 3,000 acres, Washington State Forester George Geissler said at a news conference Saturday, adding about 4,000 buildings are threatened in the area.

The full extent of the damage is not yet clear, but officials said the fire is impacting structures.

“When the sun sets and the sun rises in the morning, I think we’re going to be in shock to see some of the scenes that emerge out of there,” Washington National Guard Maj. Gen. Gent Welsh said.

The highest level of evacuation order, Level 3, was issued for several areas in the Spokane area due to the Old Trails Fire, local emergency management officials said, urging residents to “leave now due to the life-threatening conditions.” An evacuation shelter was opened at a community college for residents fleeing their homes.

Across the state, more than 200,000 acres are burning from 12 large fires, the governor’s office said. The Old Trails Fire is one of multiple blazes burning in Spokane County, where several thousand homes were under evacuation orders, emergency management officials told CNN.

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson implemented a statewide state of emergency and burn ban Saturday morning as the National Weather Service issued a Particularly Dangerous Situation Red Flag Warning across Central and Eastern Washington – a rare designation reserved for the most severe fire weather conditions.

This marks the first time the weather service has issued such a warning in Washington, meaning “new fires can grow out of control rapidly, our aircraft response may be limited by wind and smoke, and our already taxed wild land firefighters will be in more dangerous conditions,” the Washington Department of Natural Resources said.

“You’ve got fires burning in towns. You’ve got level 3 evacuations like I haven’t seen before,” Welsh said. “This is a very dangerous and very complex series of events.”

Extreme conditions fuel flames

The Old Trails Fire started around noon Saturday and state firefighters were mobilized around 1:30 p.m., according to a news release from the Washington State Fire Marshal. The cause of the blaze is under investigation.

Ferguson said by the late afternoon, he had received word “Spokane was rapidly moving into a crisis situation.”

“Our hearts go out to Washingtonians who are losing their homes and being evacuated,” the governor said, describing seeing video of homes in flames.

Video shows smoke rising over Spokane County on Saturday as wildfires spread across the area. Orange and gray clouds loomed over houses and parks.

“This is a nuclear bomb going off in our neighborhoods,” Spokane resident Brent Dallman told CNN affiliate KHQ. “This is condensed into where it’s demographically a lot of people, so it’s really tragic.”

Along with homes, the Old Trails Fire is threatening Riverside State Park and has forced evacuations at Spokane’s veterans’ hospital, water reclamation facility and waste energy plant, city officials said.

Near the Old Trails Fire, the Fairview Fire is also forcing Level 3 evacuations in the Spokane area.

The National Weather Service issued a rare Fire Warning for the county – used when active fires are burning in inhabited areas under emergency evacuation orders.

“Fire and EMS resources across our region are being stretched extremely thin as multiple large wildfires continue to burn,” Spokane Valley Fire Department said.

On Friday, Ferguson activated 110 members of the Washington National Guard to aid with firefighting. The Washington State Fire Marshal’s Office has also mobilized 13 task forces.

Authorities had warned of “historically strong winds” and low humidity fueling a high risk of extreme fire behavior and very rapid growth in the Spokane area.

Winds picked up Saturday with many locations reporting wind gusts 30-45 mph alongside sustained winds of 15-25 mph, according to the National Weather Service. Winds will continue to strengthen over the next couple hours and peak forecast winds will continue through 8 p.m.

Avista, an energy company, shut off power to hundreds of homes in some areas Saturday “due to critical to extreme fire weather conditions.” Another company, Inland Power & Light, also reported outages caused by the weather.

The wildfire is growing as Washington is in the middle of its fourth consecutive statewide drought, according to the governor’s office. More than 1,000 fires have burned about 425,000 acres so far this year — the most burned since 2021, according to the Department of Natural Resources.

More than 4,000 personnel are working to quell blazes across the state, officials said at the news conference.

“This year has already been one of our busiest wildfire years on record, and we just started August,” Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove said in the news release.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

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Seth Ratliff

UPDATE: 11:50 PM

BLACKFOOT, Idaho (KIFI) — The Bingham County Coroner’s Office has identified the pilot killed in Saturday night’s single-engine plane crash near the Blackfoot Airport as 27-year-old Caden Max West of Pocatello.

According to the Blackfoot Police Department, the crash occurred around 11:00 p.m. Bingham County Coroner Jimmy Roberts confirmed the fatality Sunday morning, reporting that two passengers were rushed to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center with severe injuries.

In a poignant social media post, Caden’s father, Jason West, revealed that the two surviving passengers were Caden’s brother, Myles, and a close family friend.

“We weren’t ready to let him go”: Family Honors Caden West

According to the post, Caden was a graduate of Brigham Young University-Idaho with a degree in finance. His father’s post characterizes him as an Eagle Scout, notes he served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Cincinnati, Ohio, and spent two years working on a film crew covering the Alaska Iditarod.

Above all, his family remembered his deep passion for flying, which he shared with those around him.

“Caden loved to fly. He was working toward the airlines — that was the plan, that was the dream, and he was chasing it hard,” Jason West shared. “Caden and his brothers talked every single day. They were best friends. They wanted to be him, and he loved them right back. He was a delight to his mother. He and I had our own language — flying, business, motorcycles, investing — and I will miss those conversations for the rest of my life.”

Reflecting on the loss, West noted that Caden now joins his grandfathers, Max Hanks and Henry West. “That reunion is bittersweet from where we’re standing. We’re glad they have him. We just weren’t ready to let him go.”

Coroner Jimmy Roberts extended his condolences on behalf of the community: “We ask that you keep Mr. West’s family and the passengers in your thoughts and prayers.”

The cause of the crash is currently under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and the Bingham County Coroner’s Office.

ORIGINAL:

BLACKFOOT, Idaho (KIFI) — A 27-year-old pilot has died following a single-engine plane crash late Saturday night near the north end of the Blackfoot Airport.

The crash happened around 11:00 p.m., according to the Blackfoot Police Department. Bingham County Coroner Jimmy Roberts confirmed the fatality Sunday morning, adding that two passengers were rushed to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center. Their conditions and the identity of the pilot remain unknown.

Following the crash, police say the plane came to rest across Teeples Drive, leaving a trail of debris that blocked the roadway. Authorities expect Teeples Drive to remain closed through Sunday while crews continue to investigate the scene.

Due to the closure, police are asking the public to avoid the area. Emergency traffic has been directed to use the gravel access road from South Von Elm when exiting the Champions Gate subdivision.

“If you need to access Champions Gate, please use the gravel road located at 100 North from Rose Road. This temporary route is intended for residents only; all other traffic is asked to avoid the area,” states the BPD in a press release.

The cause of the crash is currently under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and the Bingham County Coroner’s Office.

This is a developing story. Local News 8 will provide updates as new information becomes available.

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CNN

Originally Published: 01 AUG 26 19:25 ET

Updated: 03 AUG 26 04:56 ET

By Danya Gainor, Alaa Elassar, Hanna Park, CNN

(CNN) — The scene at the brand new In-N-Out in Twin Falls, Idaho, Saturday afternoon was like any of the burger chain’s locations across the country: workers clad in their unmistakable red aprons and branded paper hats dished French fries and welcomed customers to the beloved restaurant.

Then a young man walked in with a gun and opened fire.

Customers screamed, diving from their seats. Some barricaded themselves in the restrooms. Workers scrambled to get out the front door, spilling onto the sidewalk of a busy street.

Outside, in an ordinary parking lot filled with patrons charging their electric cars or waiting in the drive-thru line, a routine weekend afternoon gave way to the kind of chaos that has become tragically familiar across the country: the sudden crack of gunfire, the scramble for safety and the realization that any place can become the backdrop of trauma and tragedy.

Three people were killed and seven others were injured in Saturday’s shooting before the gunman, 24-year-old Chad Williams, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, officials said.

Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said investigators are confident Williams acted alone.

An off-duty state trooper and a civilian returned gunfire during the attack, “heroic actions” police believe helped drive the gunman away from the scene and prevented additional deaths and injuries, he added.

“These people are true heroes in our community, and their actions diverted the shooter and no doubt saved many lives,” Twin Falls County Sheriff Jack Johnson said.

In-N-Out’s highly anticipated Twin Falls location had been open only a week before it turned into another painful chapter in America’s epidemic of gun violence. It joins a growing list of shootings this summer, including at a food festival, parades and places of worship, that unfolded in everyday spaces.

The shooting in Idaho is one of at least 277 mass shootings in the US this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as one in which four or more victims are shot.

Among the victims killed is an In-N-Out employee, company owner and president Lynsi Snyder said in a statement.

The shooter, she said, “took the precious lives of our Associate and Customers, innocent people who never saw it coming.”

“My heart is broken, my chest is heavy, my eyes burn from the tears I’ve shed,” Snyder wrote in a statement on Instagram.

A lunch break turned into a fight for survival

Twin Falls’ 911 dispatchers could hear screaming in the background as they fielded calls from people reporting gunshots just before 2:30 p.m. local time, Hicks, the police chief, said.

Saturday’s shooting unfolded in one of Twin Falls’ busiest commercial areas, a stretch of the city’s north side filled with hotels, national retailers and restaurants that serve residents and travelers alike. Located approximately 130 miles southeast of Boise, Twin Falls is a regional hub for much of southern Idaho.

Video captured from a passing vehicle shows an individual, who law enforcement says is not the suspect in the deadly shooting, shooting a gun outside the restaurant.

Twin Falls Police Lt. Steven Gassert confirmed to CNN on Sunday that the man in the video is not the suspect.

In the video, a man is seen standing outside the restaurant, pointing a gun and firing; a gunshot appears to ring out as the weapon recoils. The man then crouches and jumps into nearby bushes before the person recording drives away.

Police have not identified the two individuals who fired back at the shooter. Jordan Salinas, a 35-year-old healthcare worker, identified himself as one of the two people who fired toward the gunman, telling the Idaho Statesman that it was an “automatic” response.

Salinas said he was with his girlfriend stopping for lunch when the shooting erupted, prompting him to reach for his semi-automatic pistol. As a caregiver for his brother, who uses a wheelchair, Salinas has been practicing for years, taking his training more seriously after the 2021 Boise Towne Square shooting, which killed two people and injured several more, he told the Statesman.

Salinas said he ran from his car toward the shooting and, when he saw the gunman firing toward cars, he pulled the trigger. “He did not like it when bullets started firing both ways,” Salinas said of the shooter.

Taxi driver Terry Dudley, who had stopped in between customer rides to charge his Tesla at the new In-N-Out, heard the gunshots himself.

Dudley was sitting inside the car when the gunman opened fire, striking him twice in the back, his friend and coworker James Crow told CNN.

Bleeding and panicked, Dudley called Crow and told him he had been shot. The two men have been friends for 10 years, Crow said. They rarely let a day pass without talking, sharing a bond through one of Dudley’s favorite hobbies — motorcycling — and eventually becoming business partners through Crow’s taxi company.

“He’s a larger-than-life kind of guy, just a big personality,” Crow said. “He’s boisterous, but he’s still like a very gentle soul, very kind, compassionate, loves to laugh. He wants to enjoy life, he’s tenacious, charismatic.”

Micheal Dudley had been sleeping after working a long overnight bartending shift when he woke up to an urgent phone call: His father had been shot.

Dudley was widowed years ago and is a single father of four children, including Micheal, who told CNN his father suffered severe injuries and remains intubated after being emergency airlifted to a hospital.

Crow started a GoFundMe to help cover Dudley’s medical costs and the long road of recovery ahead.

‘I never thought I would see this here’

Dominic Gonzales was sitting in a car with his two younger brothers, waiting for his sister to come back from ordering their food, when he heard the first shots.

“We were just sitting there, I was playing on my phone when I heard a couple pops and I look up and I see a gentleman walking from a white vehicle to another vehicle with a pistol in his hand,” Gonzales told CNN affiliate KMVT. The man fired a shot at a vehicle, he said.

“I told my two brothers to duck down,” Gonzales said. He kept glancing up to track where the gunman was, he said, then threw himself across the front of the car — “just to take up space so if anything did come flying I was there.”

His sister, Jaylyn Sanchez, had just ordered food and stepped into the restroom when the gunfire began. As people screamed and cried, others crowded into the restroom beside her, and they tried to barricade the door. When they were told it was safe, she ran out through the drive-thru line — and directly into the shooter’s path.

“As I was running I faced the shooter head on and he pointed the gun at me,” Sanchez said. “I ducked behind a white car just to have some sort of coverage.” She said she saw a pistol resting on a gun case she believed belonged to the shooter.

“I didn’t have anything to protect myself so I grabbed the gun and I pulled it back,” she said. “It was jammed so I just felt helpless. I saw the truck in front of me so I got in the car and left.”

Authorities have not released the identities of those killed or injured, saying not all of their families had been notified. Hicks said investigators are withholding additional details because releasing them could “compromise our investigation.”

The FBI has established a digital media tip line and is urging members of the public with information to submit any videos, photos or audio that captured the shooting.

For both Micheal Dudley and Crow, the shooting is difficult to comprehend.

In a place they view as peaceful and removed from the violence that often dominates headlines, they struggled to understand how something so horrific could happen in their city.

“I never thought I would see this here,” Crow said.

Dudley agrees.

“I was kind of in shock that it happened because while you hear about the occasional thing on the news, it all seems kind far away,” he said.

This story has been updated with additional information.

The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

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KMVT

Originally Published: Aug. 1, 2026 at 3:10 PM MDT

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — Multiple police agencies are responding to the In-N-Out location along Blue Lakes boulevard in Twin Falls Saturday afternoon.

According to a KMVT reporter on scene, they are officers from Twin Falls, Buhl, Jerome Police Department, and Idaho State Police are at the scene.

The Twin Falls Fire Department and Magic Valley Paramedics are also present.

The roads leading into In-N-Out are currently blocked off.

Authorities are currently looking for at least one to two shooters.

Police told a KMVT reporter on scene that they are looking for a shooting suspect near the new hotel that is getting built.

This is a developing story. KMVT will provide more details as more information comes in.

This article was originally published by KMVT.

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Seth Ratliff

UPDATE: AUGUST 2, 8:00 AM

MADISON COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — Firefighters continue to battle extreme conditions on the Big Rock Fire on Sunday as a Red Flag Warning fuels critical fire behavior across the region.

After more than doubling in size to 2,400 acres Saturday afternoon, the wildfire breached containment lines shortly after midnight, threatening nearby structures. The sudden shift forced deputies to evacuate all residents along South Snake River Road from Heise to 10000 South.

“Deputies worked through the night evacuating homes in the affected area,” the Madison County Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a Sunday morning update.

As of Sunday morning, the Jefferson and Madison County Sheriff’s Offices have issued the following evacuation orders:

GO – Level 3 – Evacuation Order:

All homes and campgrounds north of Heise, extending north to Lyons Creek Road/10000 South and east to 7000 East, just west of Luthy Meadows.

The Level 3 (GO) evacuation order for the Heise area north of the Snake River remains in effect, including residences that are North of the Snake River from Heise Hot Springs and East to the Y at Kelly Canyon and Forest Service Road 218, extending North up to East 12000.

South Snake River Road from Heise to 10000 South

SET – Level 2 – Evacuation Warning:

Table Rock and Wolf Flats Campground areas.

An evacuation shelter is open at the LDS Church located at 14061 N 130 E, Ririe, ID. For up-to-date information on evacuations and whether you are in the “Ready, Set, or Go” zones, click HERE.

UPDATE: 11:00 PM

MADISON COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — Firefighters continue to battle the fast-moving Big Rock Fire west of Ririe Saturday night, after high temperatures, low humidity, and strong gusty winds led to extreme fire behavior in the afternoon. As of 11 PM, the burned area has doubled in size and is now estimated at 2400 acres, according to the U.S. Wildland Fire Service.

Crews are operating under an aggressive full-suppression strategy to protect nearby communities, homes, recreation areas, and critical infrastructure. However, the USWFZS reports that resources are being stretched thin due to extreme behavior.

Fire pressed containment lines near several homes Saturday afternoon, but firefighters successfully defended the structures with no reported residential losses.

While crews diverted to protect threatened homes, the fire spread to the southwest towards Cress Creek, and to the northeast, reaching Idaho Endowment lands south of Moody Creek. The fire also spread small spot fires to the east across Little Kelly Canyon and into Kelly Canyon. Fire managers are developing strategies along Kelly Canyon Road to protect the Kelly Canyon Resort and adjacent lands to the south and southeast, states the USWFS.

Dangerous Conditions to Continue Sunday

Wildland crews are bracing for another difficult day. Fire officials warn Sunday will bring another day of extreme fire weather as the National Weather Service has issued another Red Flag Warning, citing high winds and scorching temperatures in the high 90s.

The USWFS emphasized that once winds pick up, their primary priorities will remain firefighter safety and the protection of lives, structures, and critical infrastructure.

Current Evacuation Orders

The Jefferson and Madison County Sheriff’s Offices have issued the following evacuation orders:

GO – Level 3 – Evacuation Order:

All homes and campgrounds north of Heise, extending north to Lyons Creek Road/10000 South and east to 7000 East, just west of Luthy Meadows.

The Level 3 (GO) evacuation order for the Heise area north of the Snake River remains in effect, including residences that are North of the Snake River from Heise Hot Springs and East to the Y at Kelly Canyon and Forest Service Road 218, extending North up to East 12000.

SET – Level 2 – Evacuation Warning:

Table Rock and Wolf Flats Campground areas.

READY – Level 1

Residents along South Snake River Road, north of the Snake River and up to 10000 North.

An evacuation shelter is open at the LDS Church located at 14061 N 130 E, Ririe, ID. For up-to-date information on evacuations and whether you are in the “Ready, Set, or Go” zones, click HERE.

UPDATE: 2:15 PM

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) — The Madison County Sheriff’s Office has released an updated evacuation mandate placing residents on South Snake River Road from Cress Creek to 10000 South in READY status.

Residents living in that area are being directed to prepare to leave at a moment’s notice. For updates and the latest evacuation information, click HERE.

UPDATE: 11:25 PM

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) — The evacuation shelter for residents affected by the Big Rock Fire has been relocated to South Fork Elementary School, 7163 S. 2000 W. in Rexburg, where those impacted can access a safe place to stay, meals, water, information and recovery support. All services are free.

ORIGINAL:

(KIFI) — Firefighters continue to battle the fast-moving Big Rock Fire west of Ririe on Saturday morning after it tore through 1,000 to 1,200 acres overnight.

The fire, which broke out around 5 p.m. Friday in the Heise area, is being met with an aggressive full-suppression strategy to protect nearby communities, recreationists, homes, and critical infrastructure.

According to a morning update from the U.S. Wildland Fire Service (USWFS) Great Basin Unit 3 – Idaho Falls, heavy machinery and engine crews worked through the night to build containment lines and lit defensive backfires around all known structures. Fortunately, no structures have been lost.

Firefighting Progress

Per the update, crews worked overnight to build defensive lines in the following areas:

Southern Flank: Firefighters burned out a containment line along the southern road to protect homes, the Heise Hot Springs Resort, 7N Ranch, and the Snake River corridor.

Northern Bench: Bulldozers and tractors constructed lines along the top of the northern bench to hold the fire’s northward expansion.

Eastern Flank: According to the USWFS, operations remain challenging due to steep, rocky terrain. Hotshot crews are working on the ground constructing line in the Little Kelly area, supported by water-dropping helicopters and air retardant tankers.

USWFS warns that Saturday will present critical weather challenges. The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning for August 1, due to high temperatures, low humidity, and strong gusty winds. Fire crews warn these conditions could lead to significant fire activity and growth where containment work has not been completed.

“Firefighters are working this morning to establish as much containment line as possible before the temperatures and winds increase this afternoon,” states the update. “Once the wind begins, officials will prioritize firefighter safety and the protection of communities, structures, and critical infrastructure.”

Evacuations

The Jefferson and Madison County Sheriff’s Offices have issued the following evacuation orders:

GO STATUS: The Level 3 (GO) evacuation order for the Heise area north of the Snake River remains in effect, including residences that are North of the Snake River from Heise Hot Springs and East to the Y at Kelly Canyon and Forest Service Road 218, extending North up to East 12000.

SET STATUS: Residents along S. Snake River Road, north of the Snake River and up to 10,000 South, are now in SET status.

“Deputies are actively evacuating residents as the fire continues to move northwest,” states the update. “…Please remain alert, monitor official updates, and follow all instructions from emergency personnel. Do not wait until the last minute to evacuate if you are directed to leave.”

An evacuation shelter is open at the LDS Church located at 14061 N 130 E, Ririe, ID. For up-to-date information on evacuations and whether you are in the “Ready, Set, or Go” zones, click HERE.

All roads going to Heise and Kelly Canyon are closed and will remain closed until it is safe to reopen them.

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Seth Ratliff

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Two local drivers were taken to the hospital Friday afternoon after a collision blocked northbound traffic on US-91 for nearly two hours.

The Idaho State Police responded to the crash around 1:25 p.m. at mile marker 120.6, near the E 1500 N intersection.

According to the ISP, before the crash 69-year-old Rexburg woman was driving eastbound on E 1500 N. in a 2022 Toyota Venza. At the same time, a 40-year-old Idaho Falls man was driving northbound on US-91 in a 2013 Chevrolet City Express.

As the Toyota continued eastbound on E 1500 N, ISP says it impacted the Chevrolet.

Fortunately, both drivers were wearing seatbelts and were taken to local hospitals. The northbound lanes of US91 were blocked for approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes as crews worked to clear the scene.

This crash remains under investigation by ISP.

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Seth Ratliff

UPDATE: 10:41

Residents along South Snake River Road, north of the Snake River and up to 10000 S. , are now in set status.

Due to the Big Rock fire, the South Fork Canyon will be closed to boaters from Conant Boat Access to Byington Boat Access, according to an update from the USWFS. Conant Boat Access will be closed for downstream travel but open for upstream travel. Upstream travel from Byington Boat Access is closed. Downstream travel from Byington is open. Fulmer and Wolf Flats are both closed for boating and camping. Any boaters currently camping in the South Fork Canyon will be allowed to take out at Byington Boat Access.

Another evacuation shelter has been established for residents in the area at the LDS church at 14061 N 130 E, in Ririe.

UPDATE: 7:45 PM

HEISE, Idaho (KIFI) — An evacuation shelter has been established at the Latter-day Saint Church building at 285 N 2nd West St., Ririe, Idaho.

UPDATE: 7:10 PM

HEISE, Idaho — Emergency crews and wildland firefighters are battling a fast-moving wildfire near Heise that has forced immediate evacuations and shut down local roads.

The fire was first reported around 5:30 p.m., according to dispatch logs on WildCAD. Fueled by grass, brush, and juniper, the blaze quickly swelled to an estimated 200 acres.

Mandatory Evacuation Order Issued

The Madison and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Offices have ordered mandatory evacuations for all residents and campers north of the Snake River, spanning from Heise Hot Springs east to the junction at Kelly Canyon and Forest Service Road 218, extending north up to East 12000 North.

Crews are actively sweeping the area, including areas up toward the ski resort, to ensure all residents and visitors evacuate safely.

All roads leading toward Heise and Kelly Canyon are closed to public traffic until further notice.

The Central Fire District has requested air assistance. Madison Fire and Bonneville Fire have also been called in to assist. The USWFS confirms multiple engines, dozers, crews, and air support are incoming.

Fire crews are asking drivers to avoid the area to allow emergency crews to work. Crews have also issued a stern reminder that flying private drones near wildfire grounds can instantly cut off all air support operations, putting firefighters and homes at risk.

“IF YOU FLY, WE CAN’T,” states the USWFS.

UPDATE: 6:55 PM

RIRIE, Idaho (KIFI) — The Madison County Sheriff’s Office has issued an immediate evacuation order for residents in the following boundaries:

South: North of the Snake River from Heise Hot Springs

East: Extending to the “Y” at Kelly Canyon and Forest Service Road 218

North: Extending up to East 12000 South

“A fast-moving fire is endangering the area… Do not wait! Follow orders of all emergency responders.” MCSO warned via the IPAWS emergency alert system.

The Sheriff’s Office states that additional details, including shelter locations, will follow shortly.

For updates, click HERE.

UPDATE: 6:30 PM

RIRIE, Idaho (KIFI) — The blaze has now been dubbed the Big Rock Fire. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, the fast-moving wildfire has burned an estimated 100 acres near the Heise area.

Video and photos captured by resident Savannah Bade show a dense plume of smoke billowing from the nearby mountains.

ORIGINAL:

RIRIE, Idaho (KIFI) — The Central Fire District and neighboring agencies are on the scene of a wildfire burning near the Heise area, east of Ririe.

ITD Antelope Flats Skycam July 31st, 2026.

Details surrounding the response are limited at this time. Fire crews are asking drivers to avoid the area to allow emergency crews to work.

Local News 8 has reached out to the Central Fire District for more information and is awaiting a response.

This is a developing story. Local News 8 will provide additional updates throughout the night.

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Curtis Jackson

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)—Pocatello Police conducted search-warrant at a home on Samuel Street Friday afternoon.

Pocatello Police said the high-risk search warrant was in coordination with neighboring law enforcement agencies and Bannock Area Drug Group Enforcement Squad.

They said the operation was conducted safely and there is no known threat to the public, but the investigation remains active.

They’re asking the public to avoid the area while the investigation continues.

Police said additional information will be released when it becomes available.

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Curtis Jackson

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)—Bonneville County Sheriff’s deputies are warning people about a new wave of jury duty scams reported throughout the area on Friday.

According to multiple reports to dispatch, callers are telling victims they missed jury duty and now have a warrant out for their arrest. The callers then try to pressure people into paying money immediately to make the supposed warrant disappear.

Scammers often pose as sheriff’s deputies, court officials, or other government employees. In some cases, they use real names, phone numbers, and addresses connected to local agencies to appear legitimate.

Authorities say a major red flag is any demand for payment over the phone, especially when the caller threatens arrest. Scammers frequently request payment through bitcoin, cryptocurrency, prepaid money cards, or gift cards.

The Sheriff’s Office emphasized that neither law enforcement nor county courts collect fines over the phone or allow people to pay money to avoid arrest warrants. Matters involving warrants or court fines require direct communication with court personnel and cannot be resolved through a phone call.

Anyone who receives one of these calls is encouraged to hang up and contact the appropriate agency directly to verify the information.

People who have lost money to a scam should report it to their local law enforcement agency. Scam reports can also be filed through the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.

Additional scam prevention resources are available on the Community Resources page at www.BonnevilleSheriff.com and through the ‘Idaho Sheriff Connect’ mobile app.

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Curtis Jackson

BANNOCK COUNTY, Idaho — Bannock County Commissioners have approved a 180-day emergency moratorium on new data center permit applications while county staff develop regulations for future projects.

The moratorium took effect July 30 and will remain in place through Jan. 26, 2027, according to a county news release.

County officials said the pause will give Planning and Development staff time to study potential impacts from data centers.

“With data center interest growing across our region, putting a temporary pause in place allows our staff to study water usage, energy demands, and land-use impacts thoroughly before any county permits are considered,” Planning Director Hal Jensen said in the release.

Officials said the moratorium applies only to unincorporated areas of Bannock County. It does not affect land within city limits, including Pocatello, and will not impact the review of a proposed data center project currently being considered by the city.

The county is also wrapping up a long-term update of its Land Use and Development Ordinance. Because data centers were not included in that process, officials decided to create separate regulations rather than delay the ordinance update.

After public hearings on the broader ordinance rewrite are completed, planning staff will begin work on a standalone data center ordinance. County officials said residents will have opportunities to review proposals and provide feedback before any rules are adopted.

The county has created a website, bannockcounty.gov/datacenter, where people can follow the process, review draft materials and sign up for email updates.

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