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New blaze erupts near Jordan Valley

JORDAN VALLEY — A 1,500-acre fire 15 miles northwest of Jordan Valley is “emerging and actively spreading,” according to the Bureau of Land Management, and is 0 percent contained.
Triggered last night by lightning, the Hawk Fire has been difficult to contain due to strong, shifting winds, according to Al Crouch, a BLM fire specialist.
The fire is burning on both private and public land, destroying priority sage grouse habitat and threatening nearby structures. Crouch cannot confirm what those structures are currently. Livestock and grazing are under threat as well.
The BLM has two bulldozers, eight fire engines, 4 single-engine air tankers, a water tender and a helicopter on the scene.
The Jordan Valley Rangeland Protection Association is helping with an unknown number of resources.
Fire officials said the fire isn’t near U.S. 95, which goes through Jordan Valley, but motorists should be alert and watch for fire traffic.
The fire is the latest of a string of range fires set off by lightning storms the past two days. BLM crews jumped on and quickly contained five other fires, officials reported.