Kamiah, Idaho – Wetting rains in early and
mid-September moderated fire behavior across the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests, but did not provide the precipitation
needed to be considered season ending events.
North Fork Ranger District –
Fire personnel continue to monitor fires on the Larkin
Complex. Smoke on two of the fires may be visible to visitors. The Minnesaka fire is located in the North
Fork drainage and is visible from the 700
road. The Heather fire, located in the Collins Creek drainage, may be visible
from the 710 road. District personnel
completed a prescribed burn in the Middle Black Timber sale and visitors may
encounter fire traffic northwest of Mush Saddle along the 711 road. The district currently does not have any
closures in place due to wildfire activity.
Powell Ranger
District – Fire personnel continue to monitor
fires with the Army Mule,
located in the Selway-Bitterroot
Wilderness, being the most active. It has continued marginal spread with some
single tree torching, but no large growth
is expected. The Sponge and Airstrip fires, also located in the wilderness,
have experienced very little activity,
although occasional smoke can be seen from both fires. Smoke can also be seen on the Boulder and
Jay Point fires and is mainly due to
burning roots in stump holes and ground litter within the fire perimeter.
Trails 89 Saturday Ridge, 82
Saturday Creek, and 30 Pouliot are closed.
Lochsa Ranger District – Fire
personnel continue to monitor fires. Fire activity has been minimal, but
visitors may see isolated areas of
smoke and torching of trees as temperatures remain warm and fuels continue to
dry out. Heavy equipment and fire
personnel are working on rehabilitation of fire lines on the Woodrat and
Musselshell fires and additional
traffic is expected in those areas for the next few weeks. The district currently does not have any closures in place due to wildfire activity.
Moose Creek Ranger District
– Fire personnel are continuing rehabilitation work on the Slide
and Wash fires. Smoke from the Wash
fire is still visible. Faller modules are currently working the upper portion
of the Falls Point road removing
hazardous snags and an excavator is removing debris from the road. The Falls
Point road - 443, remains closed for
safety. Beginning on Friday, the excavator will move to Fenn and begin work
rehabbing the fire line on the Busy
trail located behind the ranger station. Selway Falls campground and any area
on or adjacent to road 443 are also closed.
Red River Ranger District – Smoke
is visible from the Crown, Noble, and Little Green fires and fire personnel continue to monitor and conduct
rehabilitation on fire lines. Closures in place for public safety due to
wildfire activity include road 492
from road 9805 to trail 807, trail 805 is closed from road 9805 to trail 807.
All of trail 807 is closed. Pilot Knob
road 466 is closed from the junction of road 284 to its ending point. The 9550
and 9553 roads remain closed.
Salmon River Ranger District – The portion of the Tepee
Springs fire located
on the forest is being staffed by two fire engines. Personnel continue to patrol
fire lines, addressing areas of concern as they arise. Smoke is still visible
as fuels within the perimeter of
the fire continue to burn. The Spring
Bar Campground is closed.
Unseasonably
warm and dry conditions have increased fire danger in the upper elevations to
moderate and in the valley regions
to high. A few showers are possible Wednesday into Thursday followed by another
round of above normal temperatures
beginning Friday and continuing through the
weekend.
Grangeville Interagency
Dispatch Center has dispatched fire personnel to two abandoned campfires and one equipment-caused fire. As visitors and
sportsman take advantage of the unseasonable warm weather to recreate on their national forest, fire managers
encourage visitors to be cautious with campfires, wood cutting, and other activities and equipment that have the
potential to ignite.
Safety Precautions in Fire Areas: Recent recension of closures has
granted public access to areas affected by fire. Below are safety precautions to keep in
mind when entering those areas:
·
Driving – Please drive slowly with your head lights on. Watch for fire vehicles
and personnel, other traffic, and DO NOT
stop on the road.
·
Hazardous Trees – Fire damaged trees can fall unexpectedly. Be aware of your
surroundings and avoid areas with
snags.
·
Debris – Watch for rolling rocks, logs, and other debris. Take a saw of some
type (handsaw in Wilderness areas)
for potentially clearing roads and trails.
·
Watch for Ash Pits – Ash pits are holes of hot or cold ashes, created
by burned trees and stumps. Falling into
ash pits can cause burns and/or lower leg injuries.
·
Flooding – The risk of floods remains significantly higher until burned
vegetation can re-grow—up to 5 years
after a wildfire.
·
Wilderness Visitors – If you travel in the vicinity of a fire, be aware
of rapid and unpredictable fire spread,
rolling debris, falling snags and trees, and limited visibility. Some general
guidelines before you leave are:
o
PREPARE: Plan your trip with the most current fire information and use trails
that avoid the fire. Take a
map and compass, and let others know your travel plans. Navigation skills are
important in fire areas where trail
signs may have burned and are no longer present or readable.
o
WATCH: As you travel look out for burned
out trees and snags, unstable
sections of the trail, rolling rocks and helicopter or airplane
water and retardant drops.
o
CAMP: Choose a safe place to camp. Look for areas away from the fire, in
open areas out of the timber, away
from falling/rolling hazards below cliffs and slopes. Insure that campfires are
out before leaving the area.
