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NEWS RELEASE |
Salmon Interagency Dispatch Salmon Clearwater District
BLM Salmon - Challis National Forest Rural Route 2, Box 600
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Bill Beebe (208) 756-5283 or Kent Fuellenbach (208) 756-5145
Fire Update, Monday July 24, 2000 9:00 pm
The Twin fire, located about two miles west of Highway 93 near Lost Trail Pass, is estimated to be approximately 350 acres.
An initial attack rappel crew was dispatched to this lightning caused fire from the Indianola helitack base late Sunday afternoon. The fire grew quickly in size and the firefighters had to abandon the area. It was feared that the fire would spread northwest towards the Lost Trail Powder Mountain ski area located at the Lost Trail Pass summit.
Air tankers dropped retardant and helicopters dropped buckets of water on the hottest spots of the fire today. These aerial operations were assisted by three 20-person crews, four helicopters and three fire engines. Additional resources in the form of fourteen 20-person crews, ten helicopters and nine fire engines have been ordered for the fire. A type 1 overhead team from Alaska has been called in to manage this fire.
The Clear Creek Fire continued to be active today producing columns of smoke that could be seen throughout Lemhi County. The most active portions of the fire were just south of Gant Creek, the southwestern portion of the fire in the vicinity of Mud Lick Creek, and the northeastern tip of the fire at the head of Beaver Creek.
Crews are building handline up Big Deer Creek, west towards the active area of the fire at Mud Lick Creek. Helicopters continued to drop buckets of water and retardant on the hottest parts of the fire. The helibase did not move from Cove Creek to the Cobalt townsite as was reported in the morning news release.
The Crags area remains closed due to the danger of the fire spreading into that area. The Salmon River Road and the Salmon River remain closed between the Pine Creek Bridge and Ebenezer Bar. Exceptions to this include permitted floaters and property owners. The Area Closure is still in effect within the rough boundaries of the River Road on the north, Highway 93 on the east, Williams Creek Road and the Blackbird Creek Road on the south and trail # 021 on the west, due to the extreme fire activity of the Clear Creek fire.
Public and firefighter safety remains the highest priority in fighting both of these fires.
There will be further updates as more information becomes available. Fire maps are available at the Salmon-Challis National Forest office on Highway 93 south of Salmon. For additional fire information please call: 208-756-5283. Information on these fires has been posted on the Salmon-Challis National Forest web page. You can access this web page on the Internet at www.fs.fed.us/r4/sc/fire2000 .
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