Officials seek possible starter of Idaho’s largest wildfire

By KEITH RIDLER
Associated Press

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Authorities are searching for whoever left an unextinguished campfire they say led to the largest wildfire in Idaho this year that has drawn hundreds of firefighters, three of whom died. Wildfire officials said Wednesday that the 200-square-mile Moose Fire in east-central Idaho that started in mid-July is only about half contained. The U.S. Forest Service says interviews and forensic processing of where the fire originated identified an unattended campfire as the source. State and federal authorities have in recent years bolstered efforts to hold responsible careless campers, fireworks users and public lands target-shooters, seeking firefighting costs that can reach millions of dollars.