BOISE, Idaho — A break in the weather gave fire crews the chance to gain some valuable ground Monday in their battle with a wildfire burning in the mountains west of the resort town of Ketchum, fire officials said.
After a weekend of 45-mph wind gusts that caused the Castle Rock fire to spread rapidly, crews on the ground and in the air took advantage of cooler, less windy conditions that slowed the fire’s spread.
“It was much more cooperative today,” fire spokesman Jay Nichols said. “It did grow. We’re still making progress on the fire. We’re looking good on a lot of the areas, but we still have some problem areas.”
The fire, which began with a lightning strike and has burned more than 64 square miles, has caused a variety of problems for the posh resort town of Ketchum and the Sun Valley ski resort.
More than 1,000 homes have been evacuated outside the city, but on Monday, Blaine County officials allowed some of those residents to return home.
The resort had a close call Sunday when flames and spot fires crept within 50 yards of a $12 million log ski lodge atop the ski hill.
Still, concerns about the fires, the smoke shrouding the valley and public safety prompted local officials to cancel a variety of events. The scheduled Monday opening for public schools was postponed until Wednesday.
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