Residents of Elizabeth Park and Big Creek neighborhoods near Kellogg were allowed to return home Thursday afternoon after evacuation orders tied to the Gold Run Fire were lifted — roughly 44 hours after those orders were first issued Tuesday.
The blaze, burning east of Kellogg in Shoshone County, remained at approximately 235 acres as of Thursday with containment climbing to 20 percent. Critically, the fire’s footprint had not expanded in nearly two days, a stabilization that gave emergency managers the confidence to begin bringing residents home.
No injuries, deaths, or destroyed homes were reported as of Thursday afternoon. Several maintenance and storage buildings near the Shoshone Golf Course were lost to the fire earlier in the incident, but the residential areas were spared.
Sheriff, Incident Team Move to Return Residents
Shoshone County Sheriff Shawn Wehr emphasized that safety remained the overriding factor in the decision to lift orders. “We wanted to let everybody get back into their homes,” Wehr said in a public statement. “I wanted to make every effort to get them back, and I think we did, but it had to be safe.”
The North Idaho Type 3 Incident Management Team assumed command of the fire Thursday morning, bringing additional coordination resources to an operation that had already held the fire’s perimeter steady. Public information officer Jen Russell noted that fire crews felt the conditions were manageable with residents present. “We feel that our crews can still safely work with people returning and in their homes,” Russell said.
Between 150 and 200 residents were estimated to have evacuated when orders went out Tuesday afternoon. Of that group, only a handful made use of the two emergency shelters established for displaced residents — suggesting many found accommodations with family, friends, or nearby lodging rather than relying on public shelters.
Residents Still on Alert Despite Orders Being Lifted
While the evacuation orders have been lifted, affected residents are not entirely in the clear. The neighborhood remains in the “Set” stage of the Idaho evacuation readiness system, meaning residents should be prepared to leave quickly if fire behavior changes. The three-stage system — Ready, Set, Go — places the community at the middle tier, indicating that conditions remain dynamic enough to warrant heightened awareness even as people return to their properties.
The Gold Run Fire drew significant community concern since it broke out Tuesday, particularly given its proximity to residential areas and the Shoshone Golf Course. Several outbuildings at the golf course were destroyed in the early hours of the fire, and crews worked through Tuesday night and into Wednesday to keep the perimeter from expanding.
The fact that the fire held at 235 acres for nearly two full days is a significant operational achievement for fire crews working in terrain east of Kellogg, where dry summer conditions and steep, forested hillsides can accelerate fire spread rapidly. Earlier updates had shown containment at just 10 percent, making Thursday’s jump to 20 percent a notable improvement even as crews acknowledged work remains ahead.
What Comes Next
With the North Idaho Type 3 Incident Management Team now in command, firefighting operations are expected to continue working toward a more complete containment line around the fire’s perimeter. Residents who have returned home should remain alert to any change in evacuation status and follow guidance from Shoshone County emergency officials if conditions shift.
The “Set” stage designation means the community should have go-bags ready, know their evacuation route, and stay connected to local emergency notification systems. Sheriff Wehr’s office and the incident management team are expected to provide ongoing updates as suppression work continues.
Given that the fire has held its current footprint since Tuesday and crews have not reported any spread into residential areas, the outlook heading into Thursday evening appeared cautiously optimistic — though the 80 percent of the fire still uncontained means the situation demands continued vigilance.
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