Deer Fire outside Boise grows to 1,000 acres, is not contained, Forest Service says

A wildfire burning east of Boise has grown to approximately 1,000 acres, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

The fire on the Boise National Forest, just north of Arrowrock Dam, began at around 3 p.m. Wednesday in grass and sagebrush. It quickly burned “up the steep and rugged terrain into a string of timber and is moving east in the direction of the Cottonwood Guard Station,” according to a Thursday news release from the Forest Service.

Late Thursday morning, none of the fire had been contained, according to a spokesperson for the Forest Service, Venetia Gempler.

“There are structures and they are still threatened,” Gempler said in an email to the Idaho Statesman. It is unclear what kind of structures are imperiled.

The blaze was caused by a lightning strike, according to the release, and burned “around private property” that adjoins the forest. It is unclear whether any private property has burned.

“Motorists should use caution driving along the Arrowrock road (#268) corridor and expect to encounter fire traffic and delays as crews work to suppress the fire,” the release added. There are currently no road closures in effect.

Two attack crews, six engines, two heavy airtankers, three helicopters, two bulldozers and a half-dozen single-engine air tankers have responded to the fire, the release said.

The Boise National Forest has Stage 1 Fire Restrictions in place, meaning fires are prohibited outside of established sites, smoking is not allowed except at developed campsites or away from flammable material, and chainsaw use is restricted, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

“Given the drought conditions, forest officials ask the public to be extremely careful,” the Forest Service release said.