SAM Magazine—Fairfield, Idaho, Aug. 10, 2020—Soldier Mountain Ski Area in Idaho was supposed to celebrate the grand opening of its new bike park Aug. 7 and 8. Instead, resort staff had to evacuate and close the access road on Aug. 6 due to a nearby wildfire that marched across the property over the weekend.
The Phillips Fire destroyed the bridge that provides access to the resort, but the lodge and chairlifts remain intact, according to reports. Photos posted by the resort show charred hillsides and a badly damaged plow truck. Everyone appears to have evacuated the Soldier Mountain property safely.
The fire was sparked by a lightning strike on Aug. 5. As of Aug. 9, it had burned nearly 2,200 acres and was only 5 percent contained.
See photos from the aftermath on Soldier Mountain’s Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/SoldierMountain.
