Evacuations lifted in Texas Fire

Evacuations have been lifted for the Texas Ridge Fire burning east of the Kendrick.

The Latah County Sheriff’s Office posted on its Facebook page that at 9:38 a.m. Saturday evacuations had been lifted and the roads were reopened.

On Friday, Level 1 and Level 2 evacuation zones for residents near Kendrick were lifted and Level 3 evacuations had still been in place for the Cedar Creek Canyon area.

The Texas Fire began July 15 and has burned 1,575 acres east of Kendrick.

Containment of the fire is at 10%, which is the same as reported Friday. But fire activity was minimal with little open flames throughout the day.

The fire in areas with heavy brush or material is still smoldering with some movement, according to a news release from the Idaho Department of Lands on Saturday morning.

Firefighters focused their efforts Saturday with removing and decreasing hazards for public safety in the fire area, including falling trees near property or along roadways. Sprinklers will be installed to cool areas difficult for firefighters to engage.

Water availability has been key for firefighters to extinguish pockets of heat inside the fire and along the fire’s edge, according to the news release.

With the increased temperatures Saturday, firefighters will address areas of heat during the cooler parts of the day and monitor fire activity later in the day amid high temperatures.

The relative humidity will be slightly decreased from previous days, but winds remain light. A heat advisory is in place until 9 p.m. Monday, according to the news release.

Firefighters completed lines around the eastern spot fire, and mop-up operations continued around the fire’s edge Friday. Crews looked into the interior of the fire to inspect smoking debris or hot spots, like ash pockets or smoldering roots. Aircraft weren’t used on the fire, according to the news release.