SAM Magazine - Ketchum, Id., September 5, 2007 - The USFS has announced the containment of the Castle Rock fire, which burned nearly 50,000 acres and threatened the ski resort of Sun Valley. According to the USFS, mop up operations and rehabilitation of fire lines will be the primary focus of operations over the next few days.

According to the USFS InciWeb, which tracks and maps wildfires, "while yesterday (Tuesday) was a critical fire danger day, the containment lines held, although interior smokes continue to be visible. Interior areas of the fire will continue to burn and smoke may continue to be present in the area."

A new concern for residents of the area is the potential for heavy rains and the possibility of mudslides due to the loss of vegetation from the fire. In addition, interior burning in the Warm Springs area was highly visible with smoke plumes and other evidence of lingering fire activity.

Current resources fighting the Castle Rock Fire include 919 firefighters including 9 helicopters, 3 bulldozers, 23 hand crews and 49 engines. No lives or structures have been lost, although some Sun Valley and Ketchum neighborhoods were evacuated and the ski area was threatened by the blaze. In addition, voluntary evacuations remain for the area west of Gates Road along Warm Springs Road and portions of the Sawtooth National Forest remain off limits to the public. Videos of the fire can be seen at YouTube.com. \

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