Idaho Fires Join, Out Of Control Range Fire That Killed 2 Brought Under Control

Three range fires big enough to deserve names of their own burned together on Sunday to form a blaze dubbed the Tuana Complex, a wind-driven giant that had burned 100,000 acres of cheat grass.

The fire, 35 miles southwest of Glenns Ferry, had not been contained late Sunday. No injuries had been reported, and it was not threatening residential areas.

“The winds have been squirrely for a couple of days,” said Bureau of Land Management firefighter Frank Whittier, incident commander of one of three smaller fires. “Now we’re getting different fingers of it. Each one of those would be the size of a standard fire.”

The fire was burning toward the Bruneau Canyon rim and firefighters hoped the rocky ground would help to slow the spread of the blaze, said Jerry Rohnert, fire information officer for the Bureau of Land Management in Boise.

Nearby, The Twin Buttes fire, about 12 miles south of Glenns Ferry and 10 miles west of Hagerman, has charred an estimated 35,000 acres. Firefighters do not expect the two to join.

Meanwhile, the fire that killed two southwestern Idaho volunteer firefighters was controlled Sunday after burning 10,000 acres.

The men called for help before they were killed by flames from a lightning-sparked wildfire that was swept over their stalled tanker truck by gusting wind Friday night.

Gov. Phil Batt and his wife, Jacque, expressed their sympathy for Bill Buttram’s, 31, and Josh Oliver’s, 18, families on Saturday.

Buttram, who worked at the Idaho State Penitentiary, was married and had a 1-year-old son. Oliver was single and worked at a Meridian feed store.

“I’m shocked at the terrible tragedy,” Batt, in Burlington, Vt., to attend the National Governors’ Association conference, said by telephone. “These fires present a real hazard and we all tend to take the volunteers for granted throughout the state. This demonstrates the big contribution they make to us and the danger they find themselves in at times. Jacque and I extend our sympathy to the relatives.”

Lightening on Friday and Saturday caused about 90 fire starts in the Boise National Forest, but nearly all were out by Sunday and only two grew to over 7 acres.

A wet spring and early summer caused lush growth of grasses and brush on Idaho rangelands.

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