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 – 29 August 2000, 8:00 AM

Area /Road Closures and Restrictions

SPECIAL ORDERS

ALL FOREST SYSTEM LANDS, ROADS AND TRAILS WITHIN ALL OF BIG GAME HUNTING UNITS 21, 21-A, 27, 28 AND 36-B, AND THOSE PORTIONS OF UNIT 36 NORTH OF HIGHWAY 75 AND NORTHWEST OF HIGHWAY 21, ARE CLOSED EFFECTIVE AT 12:01 A.M. ON MONDAY, AUGUST 28, 2000, AND SHALL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. ON AUGUST 27^TH HUNTING UNITS 36-B AND 27 IN THEIR ENTIRETY, AND PORTIONS OF UNIT 36 WERE ADDED TO PREVIOUSLY CLOSED AREAS 21, 21-A AND 28.

These areas have several ongoing wildfires within their boundaries or adjacent to the unit boundaries that are exhibiting extreme fire behavior. The area is closed for public safety and protection from hazards associated with wildfire or suppression activities and to reduce the possibilities of additional human caused fires.

Note: The Salmon River Road between North Fork and Corn Creek is open. Spring Creek Campground and Corn Creek Campground are open, and the river between North Fork and Corn Creek is open to floating.

For more information on these closures call the Salmon-Challis National Forest Supervisor’s Office (208-756-5100), the Challis Ranger District (208-879-4100), the Yankee Fork Ranger District (208-838-3300), or the North Fork Ranger District (208-865-2700).

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.

§ The Beaverhead National Forest is closing all forest travel. Roads on the Leadore Ranger District that are 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.

These roads are open on the Idaho side.

Bannock Pass (Hwy 29) from Leadore to Montana remains open.

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, 8 inches in height.

Clear Creek Fire

Acreage: 192,407 acres Injuries: 3

Clear Creek Fire: 168,323 acres

Aparejo Fire: 24,084 acres

Percentage Contained: 29% Estimated Date of Full Containment: Unknown

Resources: 1642 people, 15 helicopters, 53 engines,12 dozers.

Current Situation: At approximately 5:30 am on Monday, August 28, an engine rolled backwards into a sleeping area and injured two firefighters. They were taken to a hospital in Salmon and treated. One firefighter sustained a broken tibia and two broken ribs; the other sustained abdominal swelling and neck pain. The firefighters, who are assigned to a strike team of five engines from New Jersey, are stable and scheduled to be released from the hospital on Tuesday. A contractor who reported chest pain was airlifted to Missoula, MT, for further evaluation.

Monday, both the Clear Creek and Aparejo Fires exhibited active behavior including crowning and spotting. The fires burned within ½ mile of each other and likely will join within 12 to 36 hours. Burnout operations continued yesterday in the area near Beaver Creek and Camp Creek. Crews will be working 24-hour shifts to continue the burnout operations along dozer lines located on the northeast corner of the Clear Creek. Structure protection was being performed yesterday at the Italian Mine. Crews will continue to extinguish hot spots in several spot fires that occurred in the previous two days.

A Burned Area Emergency Rehabilitation Team (BAER) is continuing to assess the affected areas and propose activities to minimize erosion and recover the area as soon as possible.

There was low humidity recovery last night, and a red flag warning has been issued for today.

Rankin Creek Fire

Acreage: 6,710 acres Injuries: 1

Percentage Contained: 100% Estimated Date of Full Control: Unknown

Resources: 95 people, 5 engines, 1 helicopter. The Challis and Stanley Volunteer Fire Departments are cooperating agencies.

Location: 25 air miles southwest of Challis

Current Situation: The fire was called 100% contained on August 25th. Several stumps and very small concentrations of heavy down woody fuels continue to smolder. Most are well within the interior of the fire. The fire in the Jerry’s Creek drainage is now almost entirely extinguished.

A Burned Area Emergency Rehabilitation Team (BAER) has been formed to assess the Rankin Fire area and to propose activities to minimize erosion and promote recovery of the area.

Morse Creek Fire

Acreage: 4450 acres Injuries: None

Percentage Contained: 10% Estimated Date of Full Containment: Unknown

Resources: 70 people, 1 dozer, 3 engines, 2 water tenders

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

Current Situation: Sunny skies, warm temperatures and light afternoon winds contributed to several small fire runs in Tater Creek. Fire has not crossed the Lemhi Mountain range to the north as anticipated following burn activity in Tater Creek last Friday. Efforts yesterday were directed towards building a fuel break in the East Fork of Little Morgan Creek in the path of the fire. Structure protection for seasonal residences and outbuildings in Little Morgan Creek is in place.

Salmon-Challis Wilderness Complex

Acreage: 155,300 acres Location: Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness

Percentage Contained: 0% Estimated Date of Full Containment: Unknown

Resources: 35 people, 1 engine Injuries: None

Current Situation: On August 26^th the Pistol Creek Fire ran approximately six miles crossing the Middle fork of the Salmon River. It burned 17 houses and four outbuildings at Pistol Creek Ranch. The other structures at the Ranch, a lodge, four houses, and two outbuildings did not burn. The Little Pistol also burned through the Indian Creek Guard Station on Sunday. Structure protection was mostly successful except for the historic barn. No people were in the area.

Due to expected fire behavior, Custer County Sheriff ordered an evacuation of Middle Fork Lodge. He also recommended the evacuation of Simplot Ranch.

Limited information on other fires is due to smoke and high winds hampering aerial reconnaissance flights.

Marlin Springs Complex

Acreage: Marlin Springs Fire: 6119 acres Injuries: None

(Includes Sisters Fire)

Percentage Contained: 0

Estimated Date of Full Containment: Unknown

Resources: 229 people, 13 engines, 1 helicopter, 7 water tenders

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 fire continues to increase in size. Light winds contributed to some active burning. Smoke from other incidents is holding fire runs to a minimum. Heavy smoke has prevented any detailed reconnaissance from the air. Field observers are being used to assess the fire’s spread.

Safety is a major concern given the rugged terrain and heavy fuels and the difficulty in obtaining detailed information under current conditions.

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 website at www.fs.fed.us/r4/sc/fire2000.

Get well cards of encouragement can be sent to the firefighters who were struck by lightning August 24^th in Utah at the following address: Flame n’ Go Firefighters

c/o John Stone

P.O. Box 250

Draper, UT 84020

Smoke Information

Dry and stable air moved into the area Sunday night. Clear and cool conditions created inversions that caused smoke to settle in the Challis and Salmon areas. On Tuesday, smoke is expected to disperse somewhat in the afternoon. A weather change is predicted for later in the week with a low-pressure system expected to move into Idaho.

Common Sense Measures to Protect Your Health in a Smoky Environment

Stay inside.

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.

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Fire Prevention

Think lean, green and clean when creating a defensible buffer around your home and property.

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Fire Facts

The total suppression cost of fires on the Salmon-Challis National Forest this season is estimated at almost $53,172,277 as of yesterday.

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