Work continues to be curtailed for non-essential employees at facilities throughout the Idaho National Laboratory Site Wednesday as firefighters continue to contain the Sheep Fire. The work curtailment is a cautionary measure as the fire poses no immediate threat to key research facilities.

Those curtailed facilities include the Naval Reactors Facility, Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center, the Materials and Fuels Complex, Central Facilities Area, the Advanced Test Reactor, and Integrated Waste Treatment Unit.

The Sheep Fire is burning near Idaho Falls and the Idaho National Laboratory. The lab says the fire began after a lightning strike at around 6:30 pm on Monday evening.

Tuesday morning the reported acreage of the fire was about 6,500 acres. In just a few hours, the fire grew to an estimated is 90,000 acres. At over 800 square miles, Idaho National Laboratory's property is roughly the size of Rhode Island.

They also said the laboratory is preparing for a potential loss in commercial power. In that case, back-up generators would be turned on.

The fire came within a couple of miles of a facility that processes nuclear waste, though the laboratory says there are no direct risks posed to the public at this point.