Motorway Complex Update for August 31 AM

Information Lines: (208) 507-2643 or (208) 926-4170 Monday, August 31, 2015 8:00 a.m.             Motorway Complex (Slide & Woodrat)        Jay Point Fire               Boulder Fire Date Started: 8/14                                      Date Started: 8/17         Date Started: 8/11 Cause:  lightning                                                       Size:  18,157 acres                                    Size: 3,753                       Size: 4,279 Containment: 10%                                     Containment: 10%      Containment: 0% Personnel: 573                                         Personnel: 90               Personnel: 39 Cooperating Agencies: U.S. Forest Service, Idaho County, BLM, Idaho Department of Lands, Idaho State Police, Idaho Transportation Department, Idaho County Light & Power, Clearwater County, and Rural Fire Departments

Weather: The chance of rain is diminishing, due to a warmer dryer weather system pushing into the area. Relative humidity will be in the mid-20s and temperatures will range from 60 – 75 degrees. Yesterday’s rainfall across the fire averaged a third of an inch. The rainfall will reduce fire behavior temporarily. Larger fuels such as logs and stump holes will continue to hold heat. Lighter winds, today will be mostly terrain driven and will not affect fire behavior. Wood Rat:  Crews will take advantage of the break in weather to build fireline directly against to the fire edge. Firelines will be improved by extinguishing hot spots and removing burned trees along the perimeter of the fire.  Firefighters will work to open Swan Creek Road in the Smith Creek area. Crews will improve the dozer line west of Wilson Creek and look for the opportunity to secure the fireline along 07 Ridge. Structure protection will remain in place around residences and firecrews will assess the need to protect structures from any hazards. Slide Fire:  Structure protection will continue along the Selway River corridor from the Fenn Ranger Station to Lowell. Crews will continue to construct fireline above Fenn Ranger Station on Telephone Ridge. Firefighters will monitor and secure the spot fires west of Telephone ridge. Burned out trees and rolling debris continue to remain a concern for firefighter safety. Heavy equipment and handcrews will improve the contingency line in the Johnson Ridge area and another contingency line closer to Lowell. Sprinklers will be placed at three different wooden bridges on Road 46l. Jay Point and Boulder Fires:  Firefighters will utilize heavy equipment and feller bunchers to improve and open roads east of the Jay Point fire. These roads will be used as containment lines and access to the fire for the firefighters. Plans are being developed for structure protection in Powell and the impacts of the Jay Point fire to US Highway 12. Crews for the Jay Point fire are being housed at the Powell Ranger Station. In the Boulder Fire area, heavy equipment will continue to construct a fireline from Granite Pass southwest along the ridge line toward Crooked Fork Creek. Firefighters will provide structure protection and develop a containment strategy that will be used when additional resources are available. The Boulder Fire fighters are based out of a small camp set up at Lolo Hot Springs.

Smoke Concerns: Air quality continues to be unhealthy. For more information on current air quality conditions, visit http://airquality.deq.idaho.gov/ and http://app.airsis.com/USFS/fleet.aspx.  For information about mitigating smoke related health hazards, visit http://idsmoke.blogspot.com/p/smoke-and-health.html   Evacuations: The Level III evacuation for the Syringa area (from Suttler Creek Road down to Highway 12, to Syringa) has been changed to Level II. The Selway River Road is now Level II, but the road is still closed to the public, local resident travel only.   Closures:  There are significant closures of forest lands and roads within the areas of wildfire activity including the Selway River road.  Closures are listed at http://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/nezperceclearwater/alerts-notices. Closures may change, so check back regularly.