2.3K Evacuated in Idaho Wildfire

At least 2,300 residences have been evacuated near the posh ski resort of Ketchum, Idaho, as an 11-day-old wildfire classified as the nation's top-priority fire threatened homes and subdivisions. The blaze was pushing north yesterday, even as officials said they were making progress. "It was a good day from the standpoint that we had no injuries, no lives lost, and no homes and property burned," said a fire spokeswoman. "We're simply not going to leave homes unprotected."

More than 700 firefighters are battling the blaze, which the AP reports is 6% contained and had grown to 144 square miles as of Friday night. Firefighters deployed a DC-10 tanker to drop fire retardant on the area, given the immense heat and rapid pace of the fire. "This fire is consuming everything," says another spokeswoman. "The fire is so hot, it's just cremating even the biggest trees." Celebrities including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Hanks, and Bruce Willis own homes in the area, which is home to the Sun Valley Ski Resort. (More Idaho stories.)