A controlled burn turned into an active wildfire Thursday near Rexburg after crossing into Madison County, prompting evacuation preparations and a multi-agency response.

The Snake Fire was first reported around 2:30 p.m. after Jefferson County alerted Madison County officials to a brush fire burning on their side of the river with the potential to spread. Officials said the fire later jumped the river, igniting vegetation on the Madison County side.

“It’s a controlled burn that start actually in Jefferson County, not even in Madison County,” said Detective Christian Teague of the Madison County Sheriff's Office. “It just got out of hand and worked its way up north.”

Teague said deputies assisted firefighters once the fire crossed into Madison County. “It ended up crossing the river onto the Madison side,” he said. “We had two of our boats go down with our marine deputies, and they were actually they just cleared about 10 minutes ago, but they the entire time they were shuttling firefighters around the river to try to get to the fire from both sides.”

Authorities issued an emergency alert as the fire spread quickly. “So, at that point, we had to do our IP pause alert just for a possible evacuation,” Teague said. “They feel like they’ve got it pretty well contained enough that we lifted that alert.”

At 7:39 p.m., the Madison County Sheriff’s Office said evacuation preparation orders had been lifted and fire command reported the blaze contained. Crews are expected to remain in the area for the next several days to monitor conditions and prevent further spread.

Teague said no structural damage had been confirmed. “None that I know of,” he said.

Law enforcement later cleared the scene while firefighters continued operations. “For the sheriff’s office, we’re not on scene anymore. We’ve cleared. It’s just a fire operation now,” Teague said. “They plan on being out there for the next several days, because there’s just so many hot spots.”

He said deputies primarily assisted by transporting firefighters across the river. “Our biggest contribution I think was probably just the marine deputies shuttling firefighters around,” Teague said. “That doesn’t happen very often.”

The wildfire comes as much of Idaho faces below-average snowpack conditions this year, increasing concerns about dry fuels and early-season fire risk. BYU-Idaho Scroll previously reported on reduced snowpack levels and the potential for heightened wildfire activity heading into warmer months.