NEWS RELEASE

Salmon Interagency Dispatch Upper Columbia - Salmon Clearwater District BLM Salmon - Challis National Forest Rural Route 2, Box 600 Salmon, Idaho 83467

For immediate release

Contact:Salmon-Challis Fire Information Center (208) 756-5283 

Fire and Closure Update – 26 August 2000, 8:00 AM

Area /Road Closures and Restrictions

SPECIAL ORDER

Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness: The entire wilderness, including the Main Salmon River and the Middle Fork of the Salmon River, is closed.All trails and all Forest Service landing strips are closed; private landing strips are not affected by this closure.River permit holders should contact the North Fork Ranger District to obtain a permit for the same date next year. 

This closure is in effect until the fire situation changes with a season-ending weather event. This could occur as early as September or as late as October.It is prompted by safety concerns such as extreme fire behavior (300-400 foot flame lengths), very limited access, debris on trails, and thick smoke that would complicate search-and-rescue operations.

§A Stage III Fire Restriction Order is in effect.It prohibits “setting, building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire of any kind, either open flame, smoldering, or any other heat source,” on the Salmon-Challis National Forest.It differs from the Stage II Fire Restriction implemented earlier this month only in that it prohibits all fires, not just those outside developed areas.The only exception is for stoves fueled by liquid petroleum or LPG fuels. 

In addition to banning all fires, it prohibits smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building; operating motorized vehicles off designated roads and trails; operating a chainsaw, generator, or any other type of machine activated by a nonliving power source (except battery-powered devices) between 1:00 PM and 1:00 AM; and conducting blasting, welding, or other activities which generate flame or flammable material between 1:00 PM and 1:00 AM. 

This restriction also applies to the Boise, Caribou, Payette, Sawtooth, and Targhee National Forests.

§BLM:Open fires are prohibited on BLM-administered lands in the Salmon-Challis area. 

§Department of Environmental Quality: Open burning of any kind – all forest, range, agricultural, and outdoor residential burning is prohibited in any portion of the following counties: Ada, Adams, Blaine, Boise, Camas, Canyon, Clearwater, Custer, Elmore, Fremont, Gem, Idaho, Latah, Lemhi, Lewis, Nez Perce, Payette, Teton, Valley, and Washington.A burn ban is also in effect in the City of Salmon. 

§Highway 93:The highway is open.The highway may be closed any time fire activity makes travel unsafe.Motorist are advised to call toll-free 800-226-ROAD (7623) for current status. 

§Yankee Fork Road (FS #013):The road running north from Sunbeam at Highway 75 closed.The closure includes most of the Custer Motorway to Mill Creek Campground, about 14 miles from Challis (Forest Roads #013 and #070).The Mill Creek campground will remain open.

§Forest Road #172: The road is closed between the Yankee Fork Dredge and Loon Creek Guard Station.(It begins at the Yankee Fork Dredge, travels up the Jordan Creek drainage to Loon Creek summit, and into the Loon Creek drainage.)Call the Challis Ranger District at 208-879-4321 for current road closure information.

§Morse Creek Road (FS #094)in the Pahsimeroi is closed.

§Morgan Creek Road (FS #055) is closed at Morgan Creek Summit. 

§Silver Creek Road (FS#108) is closed.

§Custer Historical Park is closed due to proximity to the Rankin Creek Fire.

§The Gibbonsville Road (Forest Road 79) is closed at the Montana border.East of the closure the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail in Montana is closed. 

§The Beaverhead National Forest is closing all forest travel.Roads on the Leadore Ranger District that will be closed at the Montana line are:

Lemhi Pass Road in Montana;

Eunice Cr. Road off of Warm Spring wood road;

All wood roads off of Warm Springs Road into Montana;

The microwave road into Montana off of the Grizzly Hill road; and

The Morrison Lake road in the head of Big Bear Cr. of Hawley Cr. Drainage

These roads are open on the Idaho side.

 

Fires

Fire activity in Hughes Creek relates to Hughes Creek, Montana, not Hughes Creek, Idaho. 

Media representatives are required to contact Salmon-Challis Fire Information at 1-208-756-5283 to arrange for escorts into fire areas.Media representatives must bring their own boots for fireline visits.Boots must be leather, lace-up type, and eight inches in height. 

 

Clear Creek Fire

Acreage: 180,131 acres

Clear Creek Fire: 165,812 acres

Aparejo Fire:14,319 acres

Injuries: None              

Percentage Contained: 38%

Estimated Date of Full Containment: Unknown

Resources:1776 people, 15 helicopters, 68 engines, 12 dozers. 

Current Situation: Much lower humidity and higher temperatures greatly increased fire activity yesterday over the previous two days.Humidity over much of the area was reported in the single digits or teens.The Clear Creek Fire grew about 600 acres, with most of the growth occurring in Beaver Creek in the northeast corner of the fire. 

The Aparejo Fire was very active, growing about 1,600 acres.The Aparejo Fire advanced to the east into the head of Birdseye Creek and also moved further south dropping into Forge Creek and Anvil Creek. 

Last night’s weather permitted crews to conduct a burnout operation on the Clear Creek Fire along Panther Creek from Cabin Creek to where Birdseye Creek intersects with Silver Creek Road.Burnout operations will continue this afternoon along the north side of Silver Creek Road to Meyers Cove. 

A dry cold front predicted for this afternoon could bring sustained ridge top winds of 20 mph, with gusts to 30 mph.These conditions could push the Clear Creek Fire further east in Beaver Creek. 

Rankin Creek Fire

Acreage: 6,710 acres

Injuries: 2

Percentage Contained: 100%

Estimated Date of Full Containment: Unknown

Resources:332 people, 10 engines, 1 dozer, 2 helicopters.The Challis and Stanley Volunteer Fire Departments are cooperating agencies.

Location: 25 air miles southwest of Challis

Current Situation: The fire was called 100 percent contained today.There are just a few remaining hot spots, deep inside the perimeter of the fire. The crews, engines, and management team that have been working on this fire are being made available for reassignment to other fires.A Type 3 team will be taking over management of the fire tomorrow. 

 

Morse Creek Fire

Acreage: 4260 acres

Injuries: None

Percentage Contained:10%

Estimated Date of Full Containment: Unknown

Resources:77 people, 1 dozer, 4 engines.

Location:Pahsimeroi Valley. Five miles east of May, Idaho. 

Current Situation:Warm afternoon temperatures, very low (single digit) relative humidity and gusty upcanyon winds contributed to a significant 1200 acre crown fire run through upper Tater Creek drainage. This produced a large column of smoke visible to area residents. The fire has advanced into the upper end of the East Fork of Little Morgan Creek.In parts of Cold Creek, hot spots are burning out and cooling down.

 

 

Salmon-Challis Wilderness Complex

Location:Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness

Percentage Contained: 0%

Estimated Date of Full Containment:Unknown

Resources:25 people, 1 engine

Injuries:None 

Current Situation: Eleven fires are currently burning within the Salmon-Challis Wilderness Complex.Yesterday afternoon relative humidity dropped to 4 percent with wind gusts up to 30 mph resulting in increased fire behavior on the Little Pistol Creek fire.An additional 3,000 to 4,000 acres burned on the north and east.This produced a large column of smoke visible to area residents. At 5:00 PM the Valley County Sheriff Department ordered the evacuation of the Pistol Creek Ranch. 

Marlin Springs Complex

Acreage: Marlin Springs Fire: 1369 acre

Sisters Fire: 850 acres

(The Valley Complex is managing the Full Circle fire)

Injuries:None

Percentage Contained: 0

Estimated Date of Full Containment:Unknown

Resources:124 people

Location: Marlin Springs Fire is northwest of Indianola at the head of Squaw Creek (about 13 miles northwest of North Fork).Sisters Fire is about 12 miles northeast of the Marlin Springs Fire on the Montana border. 

Current situation:The management team is continuing to assess the fire situation and develop plans for managing the fires. A camp has been established 2.4 miles north of North Fork on Highway 93. Three Type 2 firefighter crews have been assigned to the fire. 

The Marlin Springs Fire is continuing to move northeast toward McConn Creek as rolling materials carry the fire downhill into the drainages. 

Sisters Fire is about 850 acres – 200 of which are in Idaho.It is on the continental divide. The fire continues to move generally northeast and back slowly downhill. Today crews will begin line construction and mop-up and if the weather holds expect to make good progress in the next few days. 

 

 

Other Important Information

For detailed information about the Middle Fork of the Salmon River, call 208-879-4101. For detailed information on the Main Salmon River, call 208-865-2700 during weekday office hours. For additional information on hunting permits or closures of hunting units in the fire area, contact Idaho Fish and Game at 208-756-2271.

Fire maps are available at the Salmon-Challis National Forest office on Highway 93 south of Salmon. For more fire information please call 208-756-5283 or log on to the Salmon-Challis National Forest special Fire website at www.fs.fed.us/r4/sc/fire2000.

Common Sense Measures to Protect Your Health in a Smoky Environment

Avoid strenuous outdoor exercise.

Drink lots of fluids.

Cover the air conditioner with a filter.

When using a fan, keep the windows closed so that the fan does not circulate smoky air. 

The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality has installed equipment in Salmon to monitor air quality.They will issue current advisories on health hazards related to smoke, and recommended actions to protect your health.For more information, call Glenn Hugunin at 756-2122 from 8 AM to 5 PM.

Fire Facts

The total suppression cost of the Clear Creek, Rankin, Morse and Butts Fires is estimated at almost$48,130,000 as of yesterday.