Paddock Fire north of Emmett has covered a lot of ground

EMMETT, Idaho — The Paddock Fire burning in a rural area splits three Idaho counties. Gem, Payette, and Washington. It was very active Wednesday night, but fire crews worked fast and hit it hard with everything they had. By Thursday morning things were significantly safer for homeowners on the southern edge of the fire.

RELATED | Crews arrive to fight 153,237-acre Paddock Fire amid Level 3 evacuations

• Paddock Fire is burning in three Idaho Counties: Washington County, Gem County, and Payette County.
• Fire Crews worked through the night to control the flames as the fire continued to spread in the area.
• A local beekeeper’s 72 hives survived the fire despite the spreading flames.

(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)

It doesn’t take long to see and smell the damage the Paddock fire north of Emmett has already done. Well over one hundred thousand acres, the fire has attracted firefighters from all over the West. Elko County Fire Chief Matt Peterson and his crew rolled in last night.

“So, we got on the line last night about 1:00 we did some securing of the lines, from feedlot to the red barn. We secure the line as we go, it’s not 100 percent secure, we’ll work through the day shift and if it doesn’t move we want to put containment lines on the map. These ranchers last night were so happy to have us here and being able to help them, they showed us they into the fire they helped our bulldozer get in there it was awesome.”

Bulldozers are essential for fighting fires whether it’s new or old line, they can stop a fire in its tracks. The handful of homeowners were fortunate to get the help they needed. A herd of cows found safety and yes even the birds and the bees made it.

“We got a call last night and there was a roadblock down there the bees are important but it’s not worth risking a life over it. We weren’t prepared for it normally we come in here and get them out, but it came in so fast we didn’t have a chance to get them out. The question is how do you move hundreds of thousands of bees out here, with trucks and fork lifts. I can get the out of here in hours so.”

All of Kory Hamilton’s 72 hives did not lose a drop of honey.

The fire still has hot spots, and there are plenty of fire crews on the roads, so if you have to be in the area, use caution.