Jul 21, 2026
Investigators say the Ohio Fire, which burned along the hillside of Ohio Gulch northeast of Hailey, started at a spot on public lands where locals go for backcountry target shooting.WATCH: Where fire officials say the Ohio Fire sparked Ohio Fire near Hailey: Human-caused blaze forces evacuationsBlaine County Fire and Rescue official Lenny Joseph says the fire was human-caused and started at that location, though notes that it is still under investigation.A video circulating online allegedly shows the moment the fire started and the people nearby at the time.Joseph says he is aware of the video but is leaving that portion of the investigation to law enforcement.The Blaine County Sheriff's Office confirmed it is also aware of the video and is actively investigating.The area where the fire started is littered with spent shells, casings, and discarded shot-up targets. Joseph says dry conditions meant it only took one stray spark to ignite the blaze."It took off from Ohio Gulch and came up the road we were able to hold it at the road, and then it worked its way over into Indian Creek and started threatening some houses," Joseph detailed.PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Officials reduce evacuation orders near Hailey as crews make progress on Ohio FireThe fast-moving fire prompted a go-now evacuation order from the Blaine County Sheriff's Office for residents in the Indian Creek area.Air crews dropped pink fire retardant from above while ground crews set lines only feet from people's backyards."This one came really close to a few of the homes and luckily the conditions were favorable, and the crews worked super, super hard to make sure that no structures were lost or damaged," Joseph said.Residents in Indian Creek were able to return home Monday night after the go-now order was downgraded to set status.RELATED | Wildfire season ramps up in Idaho: Here's what officials say you should do now"I know it was a good couple of days that some people were evacuated we were able to get everybody back into their houses around 9 p.m. last night," Joseph said.As of Tuesday, crews were still working toward full containment."Right now, the fire stands at 2,035 acres and is 60% contained we are hoping to by tonight, Tuesday evening, that we will be at 100% containment," Joseph said.This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. ...read more read less
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