Weather conditions may be responsible for many of the fires burning throughout the West right now, but winds actually helped some firefighters to gain headway on fires in central and east Idaho on Tuesday. 

Fire crews in central Idaho capitalized on favorable winds to continue burnout operations around a small mountain community, seeking to push a wildfire toward an area torched by a massive blaze last year.

Ludie Bond, a spokeswoman on the lightning-caused Elk Complex burning on more than 140 square miles near Pine, said burnout efforts that began Monday evening worked just as planned: Consuming dry, flammable vegetation as the wildfire stayed higher on the ridgeline above town.

"It was very successful," Bond said. "With the weather in our favor and humidity going up and temperature decreasing, firefighters took advantage of that opportunity."

No buildings burned overnight, though fire officials are still tallying structure losses in Fall Creek, a little community several miles to the south of Pine on the Anderson Ranch Reservoir where the flames rolled through on Saturday.

Similar burnout operations were being done to the southwest on the nearby Pony Complex that has torched 225 square miles of sagebrush, grass and pine forest.

The Elk Complex remains the nation's No. 1 wildfire fighting priority, since Pine and the neighboring mountain hamlet of Featherville, 8 miles from the flames, remain threatened. The fire is burning toward land charred in the 2012 Trinity Ridge Fire, where fire officials hope the absence of fuel will help slow its advance.

Additional water-dropping helicopters and fire crews are arriving to tackle the blaze, which likely won't be out for months until fall rains and snow arrive.

A mandatory evacuation of Pine and Featherville remains in effect, with roads leading to the communities closed with barricades and staffed by law enforcement. "There will still be a lot of fire activity," Bond said.

Although lightning started two new fires in the Downey area on Tuesday evening, the wind and rain also helped keep the flames at bay there, said Fire Chief Chris Sorensen with the Downey Fire District. 

“The wind was blowing in the right direction and the rain really helped put them out quite a bit,” Sorensen said. 

The fires started roughly two miles apart, with one fire burning near Stockton Road and the other above Swan Lake, Sorensen said. 

The fire near Stockton Road covered roughly two and a half acres before firefighters were able to extinguish the flames, Sorensen said, while the fire above Swan Lake burned closer to four acres. 

Neither fire caused any damage before it was extinguished, Sorensen said, adding that there was a grain field in the area, but a farmer was able to build a firebreak to keep the flames away from the crop. 

“We were lucky this time,” Sorensen said. 

Firefighters are still working to contain the lightning-caused State Fire burning on the Utah-Idaho border and impacting part of southern Oneida County. 

Mark Openshaw, public information officer with the Arizona Central West Zone Type II Incident Management Team that took over suppression efforts on Tuesday, said the fire was estimated to be 21,000 acres in size.   

Firefighters have worked hard to protect structures near Samaria, and Openshaw said there was no immediate threat to the area nor any evacuation orders in place on Tuesday afternoon. 

Openshaw said there is some sage grouse habitat in the area and firefighters are also trying to minimize impact there. 

Seven handcrews, 15 engines, 14 water tenders, 4 dozers and three helicopters were assigned to the fire on Tuesday, he said, adding that they had been able to contain 45 percent of the fire. 

Firefighters were able to completely contain the lightning-caused Franson Fire burning two miles northwest of Lava Hot Springs on Tuesday. 

Lynn Ballard, a fire information officer with the Eastern Idaho Interagency Fire Center, said they were able to contain the 132-acre fire around 4 p.m. and planned to have it controlled by Tuesday night. 

Resources on that fire included four engines, a handcrew and a helicopter on Tuesday. 

Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter has issued a disaster declaration due to the wildfires burning throughout the state. 

The declaration announced Monday specifically targets Elmore County, but the order also covers other areas of the state where fires have been burning.

The declaration essentially allows the state to process quickly requests for resources and support from local officials asking for help fighting the blazes.