BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — Firefighters battling the Claremont Fire have made significant progress in difficult and challenging circumstances, but they are now hard at work on contingency plans.
The Claremont Fire began on July 6 in the Boise Foothills. The fire quickly grew in size and began traveling up the foothills toward the northeast, and now measures an estimated 6,817 acres. Firefighters have faced several challenges fighting this fire, not the least of which has been unexploded ordnance (UXO) that remains from when that area was used as a testing range from Fort Boise.
Fire managers have worked with the Army Corps of Engineers to identify specific areas of concern that could still contain UXO, keeping firefighters a safe distance from those areas. This, however, presents a unique challenge facing firefighters today. The fire has largely been contained on one edge by Boise Ridge Road; however, UXO zones along that area prevent further work by firefighters to reinforce that boundary. Firefighters are now left with the distinct possibility that the fire could jump that containment line…