Idaho
Falls, ID – Smoke continues to impact all of eastern Idaho as a result of fires
burning in western Idaho, Northern California, and western Wyoming. The
stagnant air resulting from the prevailing hot weather is causing the smoke to
linger, particularly in the valleys. As a reminder, there are
several links in the lower right hand side of the page to information on
smoke conditions and air quality.
For
photos and videos of the recent fires in eastern Idaho, visit the Idaho Fire
Info Flickr albums for the Idaho Falls District BLM at http://tinyurl.com/ho4ap3x and
Caribou-Targhee National Forest (CTNF) at http://tinyurl.com/h86tkr8.
The
Box Canyon Fire was fully contained
last night. The fire burned a total of 27 acres of BLM land at the mouth
of Blackrock Canyon, south of Pocatello.
The increase in acreage is due to more accurate mapping. The cause
of the fire is believed to be a blown tire from traffic on I-15 northbound.
Fire personnel will continue to patrol the fire perimeter today and mop up
hotspots, particularly underneath juniper trees where larger fuels continue to
smolder. At the end of today, the hand
crew will be released to return to the Big Elk Fire. Tomorrow, resources will rehabilitate suppression
work, including the dozer line.
Resources: 1 Handcrew, 3 Engines, 1 Water Tender, 1
Dozer, 45 Total PersonnelStart Date: 7/27 Cause: Human
Minimal
resources remain on the South Mink Fire
as most were released late Wednesday. The remaining firefighters will
continue to monitor the fire throughout the day as heavy downed timber
continues to smolder. The closure that
was in place on Forest Road 163 will be lifted at once all personnel are demobilized from the fire. The
human-caused South Mink Fire is also still under investigation.
Resources: 1 Handcrew, 3 Engines, 40 Total PersonnelStart Date: 7/25 Cause: Under Investigation
Resources: 1 Handcrew, 3 Engines, 40 Total PersonnelStart Date: 7/25 Cause: Under Investigation
The
Big Elk Fire is still estimated at 2
acres. The resources currently assigned
to the fire are performing assessments and pretreatments of trailheads and
other infrastructure and resources in the fire area. The hand crew that was staged in Swan Valley
yesterday was sent to the Box Canyon Fire last night. They will return to the fire tonight and
spend the next two days performing pretreatments around values at risk. A web camera was placed on an opposing ridge for
fire managers to constantly view the fire behavior throughout the daylight
hours.
Resources: 1 Engines, 10 Total PersonnelStart Date: 7/26 Cause: Under Investigation
The
Lanes Creek Fire continues to burn
about 9 air miles west of Freedom, Wyoming.
Fire staff on the CTNF are managing the fire to meet multiple
objectives, including allowing fire to play its natural role in the ecosystem
by removing dense conifers and encouraging aspen regeneration. A web camera allows fire personnel to monitor
the fire constantly, while firefighters on the ground have completed
pre-treatments to minimize the fire’s potential impact to state and private
lands. The fire has shown little
activity since the last mapped perimeter of 116 acres. Limited resources are assigned to the fire;
however, managers are prepared to increase the staffing to meet the needs of
the incident.
Resources: 1 Engine, 5 Total Personnel
Start
Date: 6/30 Cause: Lightning
Thunderstorms
are likely over the weekend. While there are no fire restrictions on
lands managed by the Idaho Falls District BLM or Caribou-Targhee National
Forest, it is important that residents and visitors take precautions to prevent
human-caused fires. Dragging chains and blown tires are common causes of
roadside fires. Perform preventative maintenance on your vehicles and
trailers. Keep campfires in fire rings and ensure they are completely out
before leaving your campsite. Additional
wildfire updates and fire prevention tips are available on www.IdahoFireInfo.com. One less spark means
one less Idaho wildfire.
