Ridge Fire

A lightning strike about 15 miles northeast of Lowman ignited the Ridge fire on the afternoon of July 17. It burned aggressively and by the end of the day, the fire was estimated at 400 acres.

The fire was fought by heavy air tankers, helicopters with water buckets, and the Centennial Job Corps Center fire crew. Due to firefighter safety the fire crew was pulled off the fire Wednesday morning as the fire burned hot on all flanks and there was no opportunity to establish an anchor point for a fire line.

This fire is burned in very dry fuels with extensive dead timber stemming from bark beetle insect attacks in recent years. The main fuel of sub-alpine fir torched easily, and cast hundreds of hot embers up to ¼ mile away from the main fire front.


A Type 2 Great Basin Incident Management Team was requested and arrived Friday morning. The team was tasked with logistically supporting the large incoming fire fighting force and developing plans for containment based on terrain, fuel breaks, and fire fighter safety.

Since that time, the fire has grown to 5,263 acres and is 35% contained.