An Idaho Department of Lands hand crew cools hot spots in the Goldrun Fire.

Work that crews fighting the Goldrun Fire  completed in southwest Idaho paid off when cooler weather arrived several days later, according to the state Department of Lands.

Firefighters “turned the corner Sunday when their well-planned and executed work brought containment to 85%,” according to the department’s update. “It is a remarkable achievement considering much of their work was conducted during a heat advisory lasting several days.”

The 799-acre fire is about three miles northeast of Ola in Gem County. Suppression of the fire — which was human-caused, according to the department — involves five crews, seven engines and 226 people.

“Today, we’re seeing more of the temperatures that are seasonal,” Robbie Johnson, a public information officer with the department, said July 24.

Crews can focus more on cooling hot spots and mopping up as they take advantage of safer, less extreme conditions, she said.

Residents and passersby frequently gather at Muley’s restaurant in Ola to eat. After the Goldrun Fire started, the rural restaurant became a fire information center, where visitors could get updates and even arrange to help.

“And if you sat on the porch, you could see the progress of the fire,” said Poppy Darby, who owns Muley’s with her husband, Kirri Mann. “The air attack was visible.”

People have volunteered to move livestock and to provide other help, Darby said.

“Everybody up here is wonderful,” she said.

Department of Lands officials warned people to stay away from burned areas. 

Firefighters were called to the Goldrun Fire July 19. The fire burned in grass and timber. Two large air tankers and a helicopter initially dropped water.

The fire grew from 50 acres to more than 700 overnight July 19-20 in erratic winds and low humidity, according to the department. Structures were threatened but no evacuations were ordered.

The state Department of Lands, U.S. Bureau of Land Management and USDA Forest Service provided personnel or equipment.

In the state’s northern region, the Tyson Fire was mapped at 150 acres as of early July 25, a Department of Lands update said. The fire was 15% contained. It started July 22 on Tyson Creek Road about five miles west of Fernwood.