ONEIDA COUNTY, Idaho — Fire crews are battling the Buckboard Fire, which has grown to an estimated 1,500 acres near the Idaho-Utah border since igniting Tuesday evening.
According to the Bureau of Land Management, the blaze, located about 10 miles southwest of Malad in the Samaria Mountains, started around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. Fire officials report very active fire behavior, fueled by grass and brush in steep, hard-to-access terrain. Gusty and erratic winds are also complicating containment efforts.
Multiple engines, water tenders, dozers, and overhead teams from Idaho Falls BLM, U.S. Forest Service Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Oneida County Fire, Malad Fire Department, Holbrook Fire Department, and other agencies are on scene. Additional crews and aircraft have been ordered.
No evacuations are in effect, and no structures are currently threatened. The cause of the fire is believed to be natural.
The National Weather Service forecasts smoke from the fire will drift into the skies over Cache Valley during the next day.
Officials are urging the public to avoid the area for firefighter and public safety, and reminded drone operators that unauthorized drone flights over wildfires can suspend air operations. An update is expected around 8 p.m. unless significant changes occur.