Lake Channel Fire

Power County, Idaho · Wildfire

No longer active Official numbers updated Aug 3, 2026 (about 1 month ago)

First reported about 7 weeks ago

Metric	Last report	Now	Change
Size	2,516 acres Aug 2, 9:00 PM	2,516 acres Sep 12, 11:00 PM	—
Containment	80% Aug 2, 6:00 PM	90% Sep 12, 11:00 PM +10 percent was 80% · Aug 2, 6:00 PM	+10 percent in about 1 month
Crew size	101 Aug 1, 5:00 PM	85 Sep 12, 11:00 PM −16 was 101 · Aug 1, 5:00 PM	−16 in about 1 month
Money spent	$700,000 Aug 2, 6:00 PM	$800,000 Sep 12, 11:00 PM +$100,000 was $700,000 · Aug 2, 6:00 PM	+$100,000 in about 1 month

Lake Channel Fire summary

The Lake Channel Fire is a wildfire near Power County, Idaho. It has burned about 2,516 acres (about 2,000 football fields). Crews have boxed in 90% of its edge; the other 10% isn't contained yet. It was first reported about 7 weeks ago. About 85 people are on it, run by a Type 3 IC.

Size: 2,516 acres
Containment: 90%
Discovered: July 29, 2026 (first reported about 7 weeks ago)
Cause: Not reported

The size and containment above are current as of Sunday, August 2nd at 9:00 p.m. CDT.

Free · No email needed · Results in seconds

See Your Home's Wildfire Report and What to Do Next.

Enter your address to get a free wildfire report based on official government data. See every real wildfire near your house, whether a fire warning is active right now, what's around your house from above, and how your area compares to the rest of the country.

No email needed. Your report shows up right on this page. We do not share your address.

Weather & fire-spread conditions

No Red Flag Warning. The National Weather Service hasn't flagged this area for dangerous fire-spread conditions right now.

Hot, dry, and windy weather can help a fire grow; cool, calm, or wet weather helps crews. The tags below rate each day for fire spread — green is calm, red can push a fire.

A general fire-weather guide (wind matters most, then how dry it is, then heat), not a prediction of what this fire will do.

Tonight

55°F · Patchy Smoke

Wind 13 to 16 mph WSW · 0% chance of rain

Wind: Breezy Heat: Cool Dry

Monday

84°F · Patchy Smoke

Wind 12 to 15 mph WSW · 0% chance of rain

Wind: Breezy Heat: Warm Dry

Monday Night

48°F · Patchy Smoke

Wind 5 to 9 mph SW · 0% chance of rain

Wind: Calm Heat: Cool Dry

Tuesday

87°F · Sunny

Wind 3 to 13 mph WSW · 0% chance of rain

Wind: Breezy Heat: Warm Dry

Tuesday Night

52°F · Mostly Clear

Wind 7 to 15 mph WSW · 0% chance of rain

Wind: Breezy Heat: Cool Dry

Forecast from the National Weather Service (weather.gov), pulled Sunday, August 2nd at 10:03 p.m. CDT.

Who's on it

About 85 people are assigned to this fire, run by a Type 3 IC. The government rates it a Type 3 Incident. About $800,000 has been spent on it so far.

The official feed reports the total headcount, not a breakdown by crew type.

Where to get live updates

We show the daily official picture. For minute-by-minute updates, evacuation orders, and maps, these do it best:

→ Watch Duty: real-time fire reporting and evacuations.
→ InciWeb: the government's official fire information site.

Nearby fires to Lake Channel Fire

No other active fires are near this one right now. It's on its own.

A wildland firefighter in a white helmet and yellow shirt sits on a grassy slope above a forested mountain valley

The guy who wrote this site, on a break. Summer 2026.

Wildland firefighting is a great job for the right person.

No college. No experience needed. You learn on the job.

Who fits:

→ Age 18 to 36. Veterans: any age.
→ Likes hard work and a team.
→ Wants a paid summer outdoors.

$54,000

a full 6-month season, with overtime

111

jobs open across the country right now

open to total beginners

Jobs in all 50 states, most of them out West. Most crews hire in fall and winter for the next summer. Idaho has 48 open right now, 4 for beginners. See them.

Know someone who fits?

Send them a link to woodlandfirefighter.com. It explains the job and how to get hired.

Want to talk to a real wildland firefighter?

I spent summer 2026 on a Forest Service crew in Montana. Happy to answer any questions. 30-minute call, $37.

Book a 30-minute call

Drop your email. Get the free guide.

Inside: the pay breakdown, a resume template, a training plan for the fitness (pack) test, and the hiring timeline.

100% free. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.