Idaho Gov. Butch Otter traveled to Garden Valley and Cascade this weekend to meet with local, state, and federal officials working to stem wildfires.
The governor has issued state disaster declarations in both Valley County and Boise County due to the blazes.
“The tireless work of fire crews in tandem with local emergency response personnel, county authorities, Forest Service officials and our Bureau of Homeland Security is making the difference between life-threatening disaster and manageable crisis,” Otter said in a news release. “Everyone involved deserves our thanks and our respect for the great work they do.”
Cooler temperatures and some rain enabled firefighters to contain more of the fires.
The Hurd Fire in Valley County has led to evacuations of surrounding areas, including the Tamarack Resort and parts of Lake Cascade State Park.
The state disaster declarations provide firefighters with more options to deal with the fires, and open up the possibility of federal disaster declarations, which could bring in federal money to pay for some of the costs of containing the fire and repairing the damage.
