Picture of the day: Fighting fire with water as Idaho burns

A wildfire in central Idaho forced the evacuation of 2,250 homes near the upmarket tourist towns of Hailey and Ketchum over the weekend, as firefighters lost ground against the blaze that also threatens the Sun Valley ski resort.

Helicopters used water from ponds to tackle the blaze, dumping it over the flames at Beaver Creek wildfire outside Hailey, pictured left and above, while workers replaced burnt power poles, below.

“Our customers are talking about nothing else,” said Alexis Sualez, who works at Zaney’s River Street Coffee in Hailey. “People are pretty worried.”

The valley is crisscrossed by recreational trails and gated subdivisions of luxury homes that border the Sawtooth National Forest. It is one of several enclaves in Western states that have been menaced in recent days by wildfires fuelled by record heat, drought and fierce winds.

Crews grappling with the Beaver Creek fire were warned that conditions could rapidly deteriorate amid rising temperatures and gusting winds.

Reuters