2025 Idaho wildfires

2025 Idaho wildfires
Firing operations at Taylor Ranch on the Rush Fire in July 17, 2025.
Season
←  2024

The 2025 Idaho wildfires are a series of notable wildfires burning throughout the U.S. state of Idaho.

Background

Idaho Drought Monitor on August 19, 2025

While the "fire season" in Idaho varies every year based on fire weather conditions, most wildfires occur from June to September. ^[1] Fire activities normally increase in July and August because of drier conditions, hotter temperatures, and more lightning strikes from thunderstorms. However, wildfire severity can vary every year based on preseason conditions such as snowpack and the overcrowded growth of vegetation and dying trees. ^[2]

Summary

By early summer, Idaho’s 2025 wildfire season was already active, driven by dry fuels, low moisture levels, and abundant lightning storms. Several fires ignited across the state before July, especially in forested and mountainous regions.

Lightning storms in late August burned across northern Idaho. In the Coeur d’Alene zone alone, around 29 wildfires were started by lightning between August 29–30; most were controlled, though a few escaped initial attack lines. ^[3] Among them, the Ulm Creek Fire (on the Coeur d’Alene River Ranger District) had grown from ~100 to ~400 acres under a Type-3 incident organization. ^[4]

By late summer and early fall, several large fires had burned tens of thousands of acres across multiple counties. Smoke from these fires degraded air quality across many parts of the state, especially in central and northern Idaho. ^{[5] [6]} Fire crews faced supply constraints, rugged terrain, and the challenge of widely scattered fires stretching over remote landscapes. ^[7]

Because the 2025 season is still active in Idaho, additional ignitions and fire growth are likely through October, especially with dry fuels and late-season lightning possibilities. ^[8]

List of wildfires

The following is a list of fires that burned more than 1,000 acres (400 ha), or produced significant structural damage or casualties.

Name	County	Acres	Start date	Containment date [a]	Notes	Ref
Twin Butte	Owyhee	2,600	May 28	May 29	Human-caused. Burned about 25 miles (40 km) south of Glenns Ferry.	[10] [11]
Ashlock	Payette	1,289	May 29	May 29	Burned on Bureau of Land Management lands. Many fire agencies responded to the fire.	[12] [13]
Dunes	Washington	1,060	June 3	June 4	Burned about 5.5 miles (8.9 km) away from Huntington, Oregon.	[14] [15]
Garden Creek	Bingham	5,418	July 1	July 3	Cause under investigation, but likely human-caused. Evacuations issued by tribal leaders near Fort Hall.	[16] [17]
Winter Camp	Owyhee	2,000	July 1	July 1	Unknown cause. Burned on Idaho Department of Lands area.	[18]
Big Bear	Idaho	16,220	July 9	90%	Lightning-caused. Burning 59 miles (95 km) northeast of McCall.	[19]
Rush	Valley	7,908	July 10	90%	Lightning-caused. Burning in Frank Church–River of No Return Wilderness.	[20]
Grassy	Fremont	2,018	July 11	July 13	Undetermined cause. Burned 7 miles (11 km) north of Saint Anthony.	[21]
Tindall	Owyhee	1,697	July 15	July 16	Undetermined cause. Burning 14 miles (23 km) southwest of Mountain Home.	[22]
Buckboard	Oneida	1,698	July 15	July 18	Undetermined cause. Burned on BLM lands.	[23] [24]
Mm 64 I84	Ada	8,902	July 19	July 20	Affected Interstate 84. Evacuations were "recommended" for nearby residents. Destroyed one outbuilding. Burned 8 miles (13 km) southeast of Boise.	[25]
Blackstone	Owyhee	21,896	July 29	August 6	Lightning-caused. Burned 16 miles (26 km) southeast of Bruneau.	[26]
Elkhorn	Custer	1,356	July 29	0%	Lightning-caused. Burning 45 miles (72 km) east of Challis.	[27]
Lightning Creek	Bonner	2,525	July 30	25%	Lightning-caused. Burning 7 miles (11 km) east of Hope.	[28]
Range	Ada	26,922	July 31	August 2	Evacuations were ordered in South Pleasant Valley Road and West Thompson Road.	[29]
Striker	Owyhee	6,000	July 31	August 1	Lightning-caused. Burned northeast of Murphy.	[30]
Island Creek	Idaho	14,943	August 1	7%	Lightning-caused. Burning 14 miles (23 km) north of Elk City.	[31] [32]
Rock	Valley, Adams	2,796	August 13	97%	Consists of several small lightning-caused wildfires in Boise National Forest.	[33]
Box	Owyhee	4,413	August 13	August 29	Lightning-caused. Burned 56 miles (90 km) southwest of Grandview.	[34]
Sunset	Bonner	3,183	August 13	September 2	Cause under investigation. Burned near Lake Pend Orielle and destroyed twenty structures, including six houses.	[35] [36]
Mire	Clearwater, Idaho	1,388	August 13	70%	Lightning-caused. Burning 35 miles (56 km) northeast of Lowell.	[37]
Hooker Creek	Malheur (OR), Owyhee	2,280	August 16	August 18	Unknown cause. Started in Oregon and burned 14 miles (23 km) east of Jordan Valley, Oregon.	[38]
East	Idaho	2,210	August 20	50%	Lightning-caused. Burning 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Powell.	[39]
Rhoda Creek	Idaho	2,502	August 20	0%	Lightning-caused. Burning 25 miles (40 km) northeast of Lowell.	[40]
Split Top	Blaine	5,447	August 23	August 24	Human-caused. Burned 14 miles (23 km) northwest of Aberdeen.	[41] [42]
Walk	Idaho	1,050	August 23	50%	Lightning-caused. Burning 21 miles (34 km) east of Elk City.	[43]
Ulm Creek	Shoshone, Sanders (MT)	2,929	August 30	10%	Lighting-caused. Burning 16 miles (26 km) north of Prichard.	[44]
White Pine	Latah	1,045	August 31	78%	Unknown cause. Burning 7 miles (11 km) northeast of Harvard. Prompting evacuations and closed White Pine Campground.	[45] [46]

Perimeters of 2025 Idaho wildfires (map data)

See also

• 2025 United States wildfires
• 2025 Arizona wildfires
• 2025 Arkansas wildfires
• 2025 California wildfires
  • January 2025 Southern California wildfires
• 2025 Colorado wildfires
• 2025 Florida wildfires
• 2025 Kansas wildfires
• 2025 Louisiana wildfires
• 2025 Minnesota wildfires
• 2025 Mississippi wildfires
• 2025 Missouri wildfires
• 2025 Montana wildfires
• 2025 Nebraska wildfires
• 2025 Nevada wildfires
• 2025 New Mexico wildfires
• 2025 North Carolina wildfires
• 2025 North Dakota wildfires
• 2025 Oklahoma wildfires
• 2025 Oregon wildfires
• 2025 South Carolina wildfires
• 2025 South Dakota wildfires
• 2025 Tennessee wildfires
• 2025 Texas wildfires
• 2025 Utah wildfires
• 2025 Washington wildfires
• 2025 Wyoming wildfires

Notes

1. Containment means that fire crews have established and secured control lines around the fire's perimeter. These lines are artificial barriers, like trenches or cleared vegetation, designed to stop the fire's spread, or natural barriers like rivers. Containment reflects progress in managing the fire but does not necessarily mean the fire is starved of fuel, under control, or put out. ^[9]

References

1. "Idaho Wildfire Emissions Estimates". www2.deq.idaho.gov. Idaho Department of Environmental Quality. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
2. "Idaho Fire Season: In-Depth Guide". wfca.com. May 21, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
3. "Abundant Lightning Brings New Wildfires to Northern Idaho" . Retrieved October 5, 2025.
4. "Abundant Lightning Brings New Wildfires to Northern Idaho" . Retrieved October 5, 2025.
5. "Wildfire Map Spotlight: Idaho–Montana Fires". IQAir. October 2, 2025. Retrieved October 5, 2025.
6. "Smoke and haze continue to affect air quality across Idaho". Idaho Smoke Information. September 2025. Retrieved October 5, 2025.
7. "Idaho wildfire potential remains high as hot temperatures continue". Idaho Capital Sun. July 15, 2025. Retrieved October 5, 2025.
8. "Idaho wildfire outlook remains above normal through fall". National Interagency Fire Center. September 25, 2025. Retrieved October 5, 2025.
9. "What containment and other wildfire related terms mean". Los Angeles: KCAL-TV. September 12, 2024. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
10. "Twin Butte Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
11. "Twin Butte - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.registerguard.com. Retrieved June 8, 2025.
12. "Ashlock Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
13. Tuttle, Zoe (May 30, 2025). "Idaho agencies work to quickly contain Ashlock Fire". KTVB . Retrieved June 8, 2025.
14. "Dunes Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
15. Christensen, Garrett (June 4, 2025). "Dunes Fire burning in Washington County Idaho near Farewell Bend 100% contained". elkhornmediagroup.com. Elkhorn Media Group. Retrieved June 8, 2025.
16. "Garden Creek - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.petoskeynews.com. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
17. "UPDATE: Evacuations lifted for fire on Fort Hall reservation". KPVI-DT . July 1, 2025. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
18. "Winter Camp - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.thegleaner.com. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
19. "Big Bear - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.independentmail.com. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
20. "Rush Fire Information". InciWeb . Retrieved July 17, 2025.
21. "Grassy - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.freep.com. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
22. "TINDALL - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.usatoday.com. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
23. "Buckboard - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.shelbystar.com. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
24. Feelright, Will (July 18, 2025). "Buckboard Fire fully contained near Idaho-Utah border". Cache Valley Daily. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
25. "Grass fire on I-84 between Boise and Mountain Home spreads to over 1,000 acres". KBOI-TV . July 19, 2025. Retrieved July 19, 2025.
26. "Blackstone Fire". www.mapofire.com. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
27. "Elkhorn - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.dailycommercial.com. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
28. "Lightning Creek Fire". www.mapofire.com. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
29. "Range Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
30. Rodriguez, Richard; Armstrong, Zach (August 1, 2025). "Crews contain the 6,000-acre Striker Fire in Owyhee County". KTVB . Retrieved September 12, 2025.
31. "Island Creek - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.savannahnow.com. Retrieved September 25, 2025.
32. McNamara, Mazie (September 7, 2025). "Island Creek Fire burning 14,000+ acres north of Elk City". KHQ-TV . Retrieved September 12, 2025.
33. "Rock Fire". www.mapofire.com. Retrieved September 25, 2025.
34. "Box Fire Map". fires.cornea.is. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
35. "Sunset - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.thedailyjournal.com. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
36. Proctor, Cody (August 18, 2025). "Hundreds seek answers at Sunset Fire meeting in Sandpoint Monday night". KREM . Retrieved September 12, 2025.
37. "Mire - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.the-daily-record.com. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
38. "Hooker Creek Fire". www.mapofire.com. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
39. "East Fire Map". fires.cornea.is. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
40. "Rhoda Creek - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.statesmanjournal.com. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
41. "Split Top - Wildfire and Smoke map". data.ydr.com. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
42. "5,000 acre Split Top Fire near Aberdeen contained, cause still under investigation". KIFI-TV . August 25, 2025. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
43. "Walk - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.usatoday.com. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
44. "Ulm Creek - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.statesmanjournal.com. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
45. "White Pine - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.oklahoman.com. Retrieved September 25, 2025.
46. McNamara, Mazie; Rattner, Mark (September 2, 2025). "Latah County issues 'Go Now' orders as White Pine Fire threatens camps". KHQ-TV . Retrieved September 14, 2025.