Kamiah, Idaho, August 30, 2015
–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: 20,950 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) 26500 acres,
Rattlesnake 1500 acres, Noble Fire 3200 acres, Little Green Fire 1200 acres.
Major Events: The Crown and
Lone Park Fires have become well established north of the Magruder Road #468
and are impacting the road for about three miles east from 14-Mile
Trailhead. The combined size of those fires is 26,500 acres.
A little precipitation over the
north half of the Red River District provided welcome relief for both
firefighters and concerned residents Saturday evening. Although certainly
not suppressing any fires, it did slow fire behavior and activity. Elk
City received .14 inch and Red River .03 inch, while no rain was reported on
the Salmon River.
Fire activity was extreme on the
Noble Fire Saturday, forcing firefighters to turn on pumps and avoid the
rapidly advancing flaming front. After the front moved by, they reengaged
and put out multiple spot fires around the structures. Two residences
were lost, along with one or two outbuildings. An Idaho County Sheriff’s
deputy has finished an investigation. Last night’s IR (infrared) flight
shows that fire at 3,200 acres.
The Red River Ranger District transitioned
management of the Noble, Crown and Lone Park Fires (Red River Complex) to the
Southern Incident Management Red Team, the national incident management team
assigned to the Selway Complex. Future information on those fires will be
provided by the Selway Complex information group. Additional information
can be obtained by calling 877-367-9503.
With the Red Team taking over the
majority of those fires, the Red River District will have more resources
available for initial attack of any new starts.
The Slaughter Fire west of
Concord in the Gospel Hump Wilderness was relatively quiet Saturday, in part
because it was shaded by the smoke column from the Tepee Springs Fire on the
Salmon River east of Riggins. It is between 100 and 150 acres.
General movement has been to the north-northeast. Firefighters will be in
the Concord/Hump area today or Monday as visibility allows.
Saturday’s activity on the Rattlesnake
Fire in the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness was minimal as it crept
up and down the Salmon River and toward the Sheep Hill Lookout on the top
end. There was no significant acreage increase.
The Little Green Fire was
somewhat active Saturday, with movement to the east toward Road #285.
Structure protection remains at the Green Mountain Lookout.
Evacuation levels for the Elk
City and Red River areas are at level 2, while the Mallard Creek and Cook
Ranches remain at level 2.
The Tepee Springs Fire crossed
the Salmon River and spread across an estimated 10,000 acres of the Nez
Perce-Clearwater National Forests on Saturday.
Updates regarding this fire are posted on www.inciweb.org.
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: 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: 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: 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.
The North Fork District did not
receive the wind that Districts on the southern end of the Forests experienced
Saturday; consequently, there are no major acreage increases to report. The District has detected four new fires over
the last two days. Two of those have
been staffed; two are being evaluated.
An existing fire has also been staffed.
Due to public safety concerns,
all lands managed by the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests are closed to
human entry, except the Palouse Ranger District. This 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.
