More Progress Expected on Fire in Wood River Valley

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Danger waned for central Idaho resort towns threatened for days by a massive 169-square-mile wildfire, allowing managers to give weary firefighters a break and consider sending them elsewhere to tackle other late-summer blazes that continue to flare up across the West.

The Beaver Creek Fire near Hailey, Ketchum and Sun Valley is now 47 percent contained, with more progress expected. Some 1,000 area homes remain under evacuation orders, however, a reminder of the intensity with which the blaze advanced after being touched off by lightning Aug. 7. Firefighter support in the form of bandana donations has been overwhelming.  What began as a plea from a battle-worn firefighter to Sheriff Ramsey has now resulted in enough bandanas for every firefighter.

Thank you all for your gracious generosity. Elsewhere in Idaho, 13 homes near the Northcentral Idaho forest town of Weippe were evacuated ahead of a small but unpredictable blaze started Sunday by lightning. ­And several structures east of Boise burned Tuesday night, though firefighters had control of that wildfire Wednesday.