Kamiah, Idaho, August 29, 2015
– A red flag warning has been issued for Saturday, August 29, until 7:00 p.m.,
meaning Saturday could be a critical fire weather day.
The National Weather Service issues
red flag warnings to alert land management agencies about the possible onset of
critical weather and fuel moisture conditions that could lead to rapid or
dramatic increases in wildfire activity.
Saturday’s forecast calls for
gusty winds, 25-35 mph with higher gusts in the afternoon, and low
humidities.
Pubic and firefighter safety is
the Forests’ number one priority, and Forest officials continue to encourage
Forest visitors to: 1) seek out the
latest fire and closure information; 2) drive defensively with the
understanding there is limited visibility and heavy fire traffic on many Forest
roads; and 3) be aware of their situation as it relates to fire. Forest
officials are asking prospective visitors to avoid areas with active fire if it
is at all possible.
The following is a summary of the
major complexes and fires burning across the Nez Perce-Clearwater National
Forests which are not assigned to
incident management teams. With limited
intelligence from on-the-ground and aerial observations, and infrared detection
flights, acreages are approximate.
South Zone (Salmon River and Red River Ranger Districts)
Name: Red
River Complex
Location: South of Elk City, Idaho
Started: August 17, 2015 Cause:
Lightning
Total Acreage: 13,950 acres Containment: 0% Contained
Fires originally within Red River
Complex: 6 fires
Active fires within the
complex: Slaughter 100 acres, Lone Park
and Crown (combined) 8440 acres, Rattlesnake 1500 acres, Noble Fire 555 acres,
Little Green Fire 1200 acres.
Major Events: All six fires burned actively with rapid
growth when the inversion lifted Friday.
Level 3 evacuation notices were issued for Mallard Creek and Cook
Ranches yesterday afternoon. Level 2
evacuation notices were issued for the Red River area and Elk City. Firefighting resources focus their efforts on
structure protection.
Note: A spot fire was ignited north of the Salmon
River ahead of the advancing Tepee Springs late Thursday. Firefighters were able to contain that small
fire which was near Gasper Creek.
Central Zone (Lochsa-Powell and Moose Creek Ranger Districts)
Name: Lochsa
South Complex
Location: South of Lochsa River from Warm Springs Creek
to the Selway River
Started: August 15, 2015 Cause:
Lightning
Total Acreage: 5535 acres Containment: 0% Contained
Fires originally within Lochsa
South Complex: 12
Active Fires within the
Complex: Sponge Fire 3000 acres, Grit
Fire 400 acres, Lone Knob Fire 400 acres, Fire Creek 400 acres, Air Strip Fire 980
acres.
Major Events: Structure protection continues for Wilderness
Gateway Campground and outfitter area, the Fish Lake airstrip and cabin, and
Gold Meadows and Horsecamp Cabins.
Name:
Wilderness Complex
Location: Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness (much of the
Moose Creek Ranger District)
Started: August 4, 2015 Cause:
Lightning
Total Acreage: 14,900 acres
Fires originally within the
Wilderness Complex: 8
Active Fires within the
Complex: Roll Creek 7800 acres, Rock
Point 250 acres, Meeker 2400 acres, Baily 1500 acres, Army Mule Fire 2100 acres,
Wahoo 650 acres, Wahoo Fire 650 acres.
Major Events: Point protection continues for Wilderness
cabins, pack bridges and lookouts.
Name: Boulder
Fire Location: 5 miles west of Lolo Pass
Started: August 14, 2015 Cause:
Lightning
Total Acreage: 5200 acres Containment: 0% contained
Major Events: The Fire is now being managed by the Northern
Rockies Incident Management Team, and will be included in their updates and
dropped from Forest updates.
North Zone (Palouse and North Fork Ranger Districts)
Name: Larkin
Complex Location: Roughly 30 airline miles NE of Pierce
Started: August 17, 2015 Cause:
Lightning
Total Acreage: 4990 acres Containment: 0% Contained
Fires originally within the
Complex (including Wolf Pack Fires): 14
Active Fires within the
Complex: Snow Creek Fire 2300 acres,
Wolf Pack Fire 980 acres, and Heather Fire 1370 acres, Minnesaka 225, and
Roaring 100.
Major Events: Complex has been
assigned to a local incident management team.
Name: Scurvy
Mountain Fire Location: 28 miles ENE of
Pierce, Idaho
Started: August 21, 2015 Cause:
Lightning
Total Acreage: 390 acres Containment: 0% contained
Major Events: This fire has been assigned to a local
incident management team.
Many Nez Perce-Clearwater National
Forest roads and trails have been closed due to fire activity. These closures and fire information is posted
at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/nezperceclearwater/home. Click on the
“Fire Information” icon at the top of the page.
