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NATION : Fires Fan Across the Northwest

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<i> From Times Wire Services </i>

Hundreds of reinforcements poured into the rugged backcountry of the Boise National Forest in Idaho today as stiff winds and low humidity fanned forest fires across the Northwest.

Forests also burned in Oregon, Washington, Montana and Wyoming.

In west-central Idaho, the Mormon Creek fire had leaped fire lines in steep terrain and quadrupled in size since Monday to 450 acres. It flared up Sunday from embers left from a lightning strike last week.

“Everything we had built yesterday we lost,” Boise forest spokeswoman Jennifer Callan said. “It was pretty gusty up there today.”

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An additional 200 firefighters were sent to join the more than 100 already at work on the blaze. Two air tankers bombarded the blaze with flame retardant, and helicopters dumped water.

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