CRAIG MOUNTAIN COMPLEX FIRE UPDATE
Tonight there will be a Community Meeting at the Winchester Senior Center, 413 Nezperce St., at 7:00 p.m. in Winchester, Idaho.
The Craig Mountain Complex
includes the Corral Creek fire and the Powerline fire, which merged due to
successful burnout operations over the past few days. The Craig Mountain
Complex fire is bordered by Deer Creek to the west and Cottonwood Creek to the
east, south and southwest of Winchester, Idaho.
Mike Almas’ Northern Rockies Incident Management Team (IMT) is managing
the incident.
Crews have made significant
containment progress. Strong fire perimeters have been established through burnout
operations, dozer lines, and hand lines. Yesterday crews strengthened fire
lines along the north and east perimeter of the Corral Creek fire. Crews
continued to patrol and monitor the Deer Creek drainage and complete mop-up as
needed. A small burnout operation was
completed from Frye Point to China Point to reinforce and hold existing fire
line. Structure protection efforts have been successful as no cabins or
residences have been affected. Crews
will continue to monitor structures at Garden Creek Ranch.
Today’s activities will
include direct hand line and burnout operations on the east side of China Creek
to improve and secure the fire perimeter. Patrol, monitor and mop-up activities will
continue in the Deer Creek drainage and west of Eagle Creek. Crews will reinforce existing dozer line and
complete hand line from the dozer line south into the Eagle Creek drainage.
Firefighter, aviation, and
public safety continues to be the number one priority. Hazards that could be
encountered by recreationists along the Snake and Salmon rivers are rocks and
rolling debris and helicopters dipping from the river drainages. Although no closures exist along either
waterway, fire managers encourage recreationists to access locations outside of
the active fire area and continue down or upstream away from helicopter dip
sites.
A dry, cold front has
brought cooler temperatures. However, dry conditions persist and fire danger remains
Very High to Extreme. Currently, there are no
fire restrictions but residents are reminded to use caution with any outdoor
activity that may cause a spark. Never
leave campfires unattended. Pour water or add dirt to your campfire and stir, repeat if necessary, until your campfire is cold. Remember:
If it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot to leave.
Road Closures & Special Announcements: The
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Cottonwood Field Office has issued a temporary
emergency closure order for the Eagle Creek Road, from the intersection of Zaza
Road to the Salmon River due to fire suppression activities and to ensure
public health and safety. Recreationists
floating the Salmon River will not be able to exit at Eagle Creek. The next take out location is at Heller Bar.
Lewis County Sheriff’s
Office will be closing public access to the affected fire area at the
intersection of Hoover Point and Soldier Meadows roads.
Nez Perce County
Sheriff’s Office will be closing public access to the fire area at the
intersection of Deer Creek and Zaza roads.
Residents and landowners
will be identified and allowed access from both closures.
Idaho Fish and
Game has also closed the Craig Mountain Wildlife Management Area 30 miles south
of Lewiston.
A Temporary Flight
Restriction (TFR) is in place. Members of
the public who fly drones over or near wildfires threaten the safety of
firefighters and the effectiveness of wildfire management operations. If you fly, we can’t.
For more information:
Information for the Craig
Mountain Complex can be found on InciWeb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5376/,
by phone at (208) 502-1166, or on Facebook at Craig Mountain Complex fire. Questions can be emailed to craigmountaincomplex@gmail.com.
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