Wildfire grows to 16,000 acres

SHOSHONE, Idaho – A wildfire near the Utah border that grew to 16,000 acres overnight forced wildfire managers to call in more firefighters and equipment Thursday.

Officials say the Cow Canyon fire started Wednesday in a public grassland area northwest of Snowville, Utah, when a vehicle’s catalytic converter ignited dry grass.

The blaze burned across 2,000 acres of grasses, sagebrush and juniper Wednesday afternoon, but expanded significantly overnight, said Brock Astle, spokesman for the Twin Falls Fire District of the Bureau of Land Management.

Two hundred firefighters were called out, making it the district’s biggest wildfire so far this season, he said.

“Right now it looks to be manageable,” Astle said.

It was one of four wildfires in south-central Idaho. Astle said the other three, smaller fires were either contained or expected to be contained Thursday.