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fire update
Note: The following was written Tuesday, Sept. 1 and may already be out of date. For the latest fire updates go to www.facebook.com/centralidahofires for information on Central Idaho fires or http://inciweb.nwcg.gov. With the Fair news in the Chronicle the past couple of weeks we haven’t had the space available to address the wildfires raging all around us. At this time some are in mop-up stage while others are still mostly uncontained. The Cottonwood, Ferdinand and Keuterville areas have been fortunate to this point in that they only have to deal with the smoke. The Greencreek area for the most part is unaffected other than by smoke other than where you get into the Winona area. Just because we haven’t been hit with fires doesn’t mean local ranchers haven’t been affected as many have pasture ground in the Woodland area above Kamiah including the Brad Higgins family which also lost a barn and lots of hay to a fire (see Cards of Thanks on page 7). The accompanying photo is one Marcus Higgins posted on Facebook of their haybarn in the Winona area. A lot of people and businesses and been collecting and sending needed supplies for those in the Kamiah area who either lost their homes or have been evacuated to shelters. Jenny and Casey Arnzen of Cottonwood are one such family who have been running pickup loads of supplies down to the valley. We understand they have taken over 20 loads down. There are collection points in Grangeville as well and several Lewiston businesses have been collecting items and sending truckloads to the affected areas. Red Cross has also had shelters set up although at the current time they are on standby We also understand that Cottonwood Livestock Auction has been taking in cattle displaced by fires and also from lack of pasture due to drought. Dennis Rowland said he had something like 500 extra head as of Fair week. Below is the latest update on the Clearwater-Municipal-Motorway North Complex Fires which is considered 75% contained. The Municipal, Greer and Fisher fires are in patrol-and-monitor status, with isolated areas of heat well within the perimeter. Firefighters have been mopping up on the Clearwater Fire and extinguishing hot spots within 200 feet of the fireline. The Lost Hat Fire, near the headwaters of the Orofino Creek approximately five miles east of Pierce, crossed the creek yesterday and two helicopters were used to extinguish the slow-moving fire. Crews are watching for possible reburns where there are large layers of needle cast under trees in burned areas. They are also searching for hot spots and extinguishing any they find near structures in the Woodland area. A report of smoke near Woodland Road in Kamiah sent firefighters Monday to investigate. It turned out to be a steaming sawdust pile. The public is reminded to call 911 if a new fire is spotted. Temperatures should remain relatively cool this week, which can have a moderating effect on fire behavior. Precipitation is expected for Wednesday, with soaking rains likely over the Labor Day weekend. Crews today plan to build indirect and contingency lines on the Lost Hat, 535 and Musselshell fires in the Motorway Complex North. Aviation resources are available to keep fire in check where the terrain is inaccessible or unsafe for firefighters. More dozer line will be constructed and improved north and west of the Lost Hat Fire, and extensive mop-up continues on both the Clearwater and Municipal complexes. Suppression repair is almost complete on the Fisher and Greer fires. With suppression repair, firelines are stabilized and erosion control measures are used to prevent soil from entering waterways. Graders are used to improve the condition of gravel roads. The Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest has been closed, except for the Palouse Ranger District. The closures are listed at http://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/nezperceclearwater/alerts-notices. Information on the upcoming hunting seasons and areas with limited access may be found on the Idaho Fish and Game site: https://fishandgame.idaho.gov/content/fire. The phone number is 208-344-3700. School has started in Central Idaho. With the increased traffic associated with the fires, drivers should use caution, especially when visibility is limited by smoke. The Southern Area Blue Team continues to manage the Clearwater-Municipal-Motorway North Complex. Fire information updates will be issued under this name. Visit www.facebook.com/centralidahofires for information on Central Idaho fires or http://inciweb.nwcg.gov. TEPEE SPRINGS FIRE One area fire causing concern lately is the Tepee Springs Fire east of Riggins which crossed the Salmon River on Saturday with a call sent out to other fire departments, including Cottonwood, to send help if they could. This fire covers over 91,000 acres. It started south of the Salmon River and has expanded north across the Salmon from just a couple miles east of Riggins almost to French Creek. The southernmost portion of this fire is almost straight east of Pinehurst. Several rafters have been trapped by the fire with the Idaho County Sheriff’s Dept. and firefighters helping to escort those rafters to safety. That was to continue on Tuesday according to the report on inciweb.nwcg.gov LOCHSA SOUTH COMPLEX Another fire of concern is the so-called Lochsa South Complex fire which has caused evacuations in the Syringa area. As of Sept. 1 it is still considered 0% contained and covers 5,535 acres. It includes the Sponge Fire (3000 acres), Grit Fire (400 acres), Lone Knob Fire (400 acres), Fire Creek (400 acres )and Airstrip Fire (980 acres). GRIZZLY BEAR COMPLEX Another fire that has generated a lot of the smoke we’ve seen in the Cottonwood area is the Grizzly Bear Complex fire in the Umatilla National Forest along the Oregon-Washington border. This fire is the one that created the ugly brown plume seen behind Cottonwood Butte during Thursday of the Idaho County Fair on August 20. This fire covers over 74,000 acres and is considered 20% contained. Cooler temperatures and rain expected later in the week will help considerably with the fire fighting efforts. http://inciweb.nwcg.gov is a good source of information and the latest updates on all the fires currently burning in the Pacific Northwest. |
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