KAMIAH, ID – A wildfire burning along Highway 162, near milepost 17 between Kamiah and Winona, has grown to approximately 75 acres, according to Kamiah Fire-Rescue Chief Billy Monahan. The fire, named the Rock Fire, was first reported around noon on Monday and has burned up from the highway to near Winona Road.

Monahan said crews from Kamiah Fire-Rescue and the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) responded to the fire, with aerial support assisting throughout the day. Firefighters worked for eight hours on Monday battling the blaze, which remains active in steep and hazardous terrain.

An update from Monahan on Monday evening said two firefighters reportedly sustained minor injuries during operations. One Kamiah Fire-Rescue firefighter and one IDL crew member were hurt during a rock slide that followed a helicopter water drop.

On Tuesday morning, Chief Monahan confirmed that Kamiah Fire-Rescue Lt. Robert Bragdon was struck in the helmet by a rolling rock. After receiving a CT scan and a wrist X-ray at the emergency room, Bragdon was cleared for full duty and returned to the fire line. He was greeted with a group hug from fellow crew members.

“Thank God everyone else avoided serious injury,” Monahan said Monday evening.

No additional information has been released on the condition of the injured IDL firefighter.

Aircraft were credited with helping check the fire’s spread, but Monahan says crews are expected to continue suppression efforts for several more days. Containment levels have not yet been reported, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Monahan says Highway 162 remains open to one lane as firefighting operations continue. Fire officials noted that the steep terrain near the highway remains hazardous, with sections of the fire line still uncontrolled.