Idaho plagued by multiple wild fires

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Podcasts Take Two

Aug 19, 2013

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Idaho plagued by multiple wild fires

Nine forest fires have burned more than 400,000 acres across Idaho. The state is experiencing more wildfire activity right now than any other part of the country.

A fire burns on the shoulder of U.S. Highway 20 north of Mountain Home, Idaho on Monday, Aug. 12, 2013. The blaze was among several touched off in recent days by a lightning storm that rolled through the region. The largest two fires, the Pony Complex and Elk Complex, had burned more than 300 square miles of sagebrush, grass and pine trees and forced the evacuation of small, remote towns in the region.

Nine forest fires have burned more than 400,000 acres across Idaho. The state is experiencing more wildfire activity right now than any other part of the country.

In the central part of the state, firefighters are battling against a wildfire that's burned nearly 160 square miles since a lightning strike started it on August 7th. The fire has forced evacuations for at least 2,000 homes in areas around the Sun Valley Resort.

Julie Thomas, spokeswoman for the Sawtooth National Forest, joins the show with more.