KENDRICK — A wildfire that prompted an evacuation and sent a huge plume of smoke into the sky ignited Monday afternoon in Latah County near Kendrick.
The Texas Fire grew to 150 acres east of Kendrick as of 7:30 p.m. Monday, according to the Idaho Department of Lands, although fire activity decreased some in the evening as temperatures cooled. The fire was at 0% containment as of 9:40 p.m., according to an updated news release from the department. The cause of the fire hasn’t been determined.
People in the areas of Cedar Ridge, Texas Ridge and Linden down to Idaho Highway 3 were advised to evacuate, according to the Latah County Sheriff’s Office. Texas Ridge was closed. The fire also spreading into Nez Perce County.
Between 50 to 60 structures were being threatened by the Texas Fire, Idaho Department of Lands said in a news release.
Firefighters were aggressively attacking the wildfire in the Potlatch River Canyon near the junction of Texas Ridge Road and Cedar Ridge Road, according to the news release. Officials planned to develop plans of attack through the night.
Larger air tankers from Missoula were dropping retardant on the fire to prevent spread, according to the news release. A Complex Incident Management Team has been ordered to manage the fire.
The Idaho Department of Lands Ponderosa Area Office’s phones were down Monday night, according to the updated news release. Those seeking information related to the Incident Command Post were asked to contact agency administrator Chris Tretter at (208) 215-6937.
