Concerns about public safety due
to the explosive growth of numerous large fires spread across the Nez
Perce-Clearwater National Forests prompted a public closure of the Forests,
with the exception of the Palouse Ranger District, late Saturday. That closure remains in effect and is being
evaluated daily.
To date, the Forests have detected
nearly 280 fires which have burned across more than 130,000 acres.
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.
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: 31,800 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) 26500 acres,
Rattlesnake 1500 acres, Noble Fire 3200 acres, Little Green Fire 1375 acres.
Major Events: the Lone
Park/Crown Fires, Little Green Fire and Noble Fire were transitioned to the
national incident management team managing the Selway Complex. Future Forest updates will focus on the
Slaughter Fire, west of Concord in the Gospel Hump Wilderness, (150-150 acres)
which is being staffed, and the 1350-acre Rattlesnake Fire in the Frank
Church-River of No Return Wilderness which is slowly spreading toward the Sheep
Hill Lookout.
The Tepee Springs Fire crossed the Salmon River Saturday and has spread
across an estimated 12,000 acres of land managed by the Nez Perce-Clearwater
National Forests. Updates regarding this
fire are posted on www.inciweb.org. Information can be obtained by calling
877-683-5560 or sending an email to payettefireinformation@gmail.com.
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: Fires received
light, spotty precipitation. 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: 18115 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 5400 acres, Wahoo 650 acres, Wahoo Fire 650 acres.
Major Events: Fires received
light, spotty precipitation. Point
protection continues for Wilderness cabins, pack bridges and lookouts.
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: 7330 acres Containment: 0% Contained
Fires Originally within the Complex (including Wolf Pack
Fires): 14
Active Fires within the Complex:
Snow Creek Fire 3270 acres, Wolf Pack Fire 1370 acres, and Heather Fire
2085 acres, Minnesaka 450, and Roaring 100.
Major Events: Fire managers
were able to fly over fires today for more accurate mapping and revised acreage
figures. Minimal fire activity was
reported.
Name: Scurvy Mountain Fire Location: 28 miles ENE of Pierce, Idaho
Started: August 21, 2015 Cause: Lightning
Total Acreage: 520 acres Containment: 0% contained
Major Events: Fire managers
were able to fly over fires today for more accurate mapping and revised acreage
figures. Minimal fire activity was
reported. The Scurvy Lookout has been
wrapped.
Three North Fork fires have been
contained (Rock, Pot Lake and Little Wash).
Work continues to contain a new fire, Siwash, which is located near Elk
Mountain.
Nez Perce-Clearwater closure 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.
