JOSEPH — Firefighters are beginning to make progress on the Double Creek Fire, particularly along its western and southern flanks, a spokesman for the PNW Type 2 team said in a briefing Thursday, Sept. 8.

Sonny Caldwell, operations section chief, said in a Facebook post Sept. 8, the fire at 100,977 acres saw significant growth the previous day to its south, north and northeast flanks amid severe weather conditions.

“Still we were able to do a lot of good work along the upper and lower Imnaha Roads,” Caldwell said.

He said that on Sept. 8, the operational plan was to continue burning along the Imnaha Road to the south of town and to do mop-up work around structures along Freezeout Road.

He also said firefighters burned north past a bed and breakfast north of Imnaha and had that area secured.

Caldwell said the northern flank of the fire appears most problematic, given the terrain. Firefighters have been using aerial resources in that area, dropping retardant. Also, with the Snake River flanking the fire on the east, they’ve had to take to the water.

“We don’t have enough resources to do much work on the other (north) side of the fire, so we have boats working the Snake River with local firefighters,” he said.

The Eagle Cap Wilderness fires also continue unconfined, with the Sturgill Fire at 17,640 acres, the Nebo Fire at 10,891 acres and the Goat Mountain 2 fire at 374 acres.