Fontenelle Fire Now 25,000 Acres

A Type 2 team has taken over control of the efforts to contain the 25,000- acre Fontenelle Fire southwest of LaBarge which continues to be fueled by dead and down beetle-killed trees and driven by strong winds.  Forest Spokesperson Mary Cernicek says the fire continues to be a stubborn one to fight. She says the fire continues to push north and east and a red flag warning has been posted through 10:00 pm today. Cernicek says efforts to contain the fire involve 145 people including three 20-person crews, eight smoke-jumpers, three helicopters and crews, a bulldozer, a water tanker and  five wildland engines.  Meanwhile, she says residents in Pinedale have been contending with heavy smoke and ash. She says the Forest is urging the public to stay out of the smoky areas as much as possible and to avoid strenuous activity while the heavy smoke is in the air. Cernicek says the new management team has set up its incident command post at the Big Piney High School.