Motorway Complex Evening Update for August 31st

Motorway Complex                    Jay Point                                 Boulder                   Date Started: 8/14                       Date Started: 8/17                Date Started: 8/11 Cause: lightning                           Cause: lightning                     Cause: lightning Size: 18,450 acres                      Size: 3,753                             Size: 4,279 Containment: 15%                       Containment: 10%                Containment: 0% Personnel: 497                           Personnel: 87                      Personnel: 40 Cooperating Agencies: U.S. Forest Service, Idaho County, BLM, Idaho Department of Lands, Idaho State Police, Idaho Transportation Department, Idaho County Light & Power, Clearwater County, and Rural Fire Departments

This will be the final evening update unless fire activity increases. Weather: After days of smoke, the day was warm and sunny. Tonight there will be light terrain driven winds 5 - 10 mph from the south-southwest. Overnight temperatures will be in the low 50s.  Tomorrow temperatures will reach the mid 80s and with humidity near 20%.  Southwest winds will average 6 miles per hour with gusts to 12 miles per hour and skies will be partly cloudy. Woodrat Fire: Firefighters continued to build direct fireline because of a decrease in fire activity. Burnout operations occurred again on the southeast side of the fire for structure protection. Air support was used on the west side of the fire in conjunction with dozer line to further enhance line on the west side of the fire.  Tonight, crews will continue structure protection activities along Highway 12. Slide Fire:  Direct line above Fenn Ranger Station along Telephone Ridge continues to be built.  A six-acre slop over occurred on Telephone Ridge and crews continue to monitor its progress.  Fire pumps and sprinklers are being installed for the protection of O’Hara Bridge.  Air support was used on the fire today.  Fire activity did increase during the day, however the fire did not grow in size. Jay Point and Boulder Fires:  The White Sands Campground was supported by air operations.  Firefighters continued to build handline and mop up near the 362C Road.  Crews are working to open and prepare existing roads for future burnout operations.  The Boulder Fire reacted well to the precipitation yesterday and fire activity was minimal.  Evaluation and assessment of point protection objectives will continue.  A control plan is being developed for the eastern side of the fire including structure protection. Smoke Concerns: Air quality continues to be unhealthy. For more information on current air quality conditions, visit http://airquality.deq.idaho.gov/ andhttp://app.airsis.com/USFS/fleet.aspx.  For information about mitigating smoke related health hazards, visit http://idsmoke.blogspot.com/p/smoke-and-health.html Evacuations: The Syringa area (from Suttler Creek Road down to Highway 12, to Syringa) remains at a Level II. The Selway River Road also remains Level II, but the road is closed to the public, local resident travel only. Closures:  There are significant closures of forest lands and roads within the areas of wildfire activity including the Selway River road.  Closures are listed athttp://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/nezperceclearwater/alerts-notices. Closures may change, so check back regularly.

Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests evening update

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.

DEQ lifts Air Quality Forecast and Caution for Custer and Lemhi Counties

The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has lifted the Emergency Air Quality Forecast and Caution for Lemhi and Custer Counties.

08/31/2015 Idaho DEQ Smoke Forecast

Updated Noon MDT Monday, August 31, 2015

Valid through: Noon MDT Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Smoke Outlook

Air quality is currently ranging from Good to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups in all of Idaho with higher hourly impacts across the Clearwater Basin Drainage and the Salmon-Challis area.  Air quality is forecast to remain in Moderate to Unhealthy category for the 24hr standard across central Idaho today while northern Idaho has seen some improvement and is forecast to be in the Good to Moderate category. Southern Idaho remains in the Good category.  Impacts are from regional fires burning in Washington State, California, Oregon, and a multitude of local fires in the Clearwater drainage, the northern Panhandle, and Central Idaho Mountains.

Nez Perce Reservation:  24-hour monitor readings range from Good to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups.  Hourly readings are fluctuating from Moderate to Unhealthy, depending on location and wind direction.  The Nez Perce Tribe will continue their Air Quality Advisory.  Please contact the Nez Perce Tribe for more information: airquality@nezperce.org.

For the remainder of Monday, expect partly to mostly cloudy skies and wind speeds from 5-10 mph in the southeast, 2-8 mph in the southwest, and 8-12 mph across the northern Panhandle.  Generally speaking, the winds at the surface will be from the southwest-west with regions of northwest within the Treasure Valley and over the Clearwater drainages.  There may be light showers over elevated regions across the state this afternoon in extreme northern Idaho.  On Tuesday, a more southwesterly flow pattern will establish as an upper level low settles of Haida Gwaii.  This will continue to allow drier and warmer conditions to establish before the system moves east and brings cooler, stormier weather.  This may allow for an increase in fire activity in the short term.

The strongest smoke impacts are occurring across the Clearwater drainages, Central Idaho Mountains, and the northern Panhandle with lighter impacts in the McCall region.  Expect to experience impacts from the Canada border south to the Salmon River corridor with some drainage impacts into the McCall and the Lower Treasure Valley areas tonight.  The highest impacts are expected to be within the drainages of the Clearwater, Salmon, Lochsa, down into the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley.  The northern tier of the Purcell Trench will also continue to experience impacts with some clearing from Moscow north to Sandpoint.  In southern Idaho, impacts will be greatest within the drainages around McCall and the Lower Treasure Valley and generally north (and including) of a line running from Weiser to Salmon.  Conditions have generally improved across all of Idaho with values in the Good and Moderate range across all monitors except for Cottonwood, which is reading Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups.  Nighttime drainage smoke will continue to provide impacts in regions near and downwind of the fires.  Impacts in the central Idaho region will continue to be the greatest into Wednesday as fire activity is likely to increase. Fires burning in northeast Oregon and southeast Washington will continue to add smoke into the Palouse region.  Clearing should be expected over the open expanses with greater improvement possible from Wednesday on through the weekend.

DEQ Air Quality Advisories:

Idaho DEQ has issued an Air Quality Advisory:

·         Lewiston Regional Office for  Latah, Nez Perce, Lewis, Clearwater, Idaho Counties, river corridors and surrounding areas (off the Nez Perce Reservation) through September 1^st at 10:00am when it will be extended or lifted.

·         Idaho Falls Regional Office for Lemhi County and Custer County until August 31^st at 3:00pm when it will be extended or lifted.

View real time smoke monitoring at:  http://www.airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=topics.smoke_wildfires

View DEQ near-real time monitoring at: http://airquality.deq.idaho.gov/

 The USFS installed monitors in Riggins, ID, Halfway, OR, and Newport, WA.  The information can be found at http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/smoke.pl

·         Riggins, ID monitor is Smoke USFS R1-306

·         Halfway, OR monitor is Smoke #68

·         Users should be aware that the Forest Service site reports the data in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).  To convert from UTC to Mountain Daylight Time, subtract 6 hours.

Smoke forecasts are dependent on predicted fire growth and weather.  If conditions change unexpectedly, impacts could occur.  When visibility starts to go below 5 miles, sensitive groups should minimize outdoor activities.  Everyone else should minimize prolonged or physical activity outdoors.  Visit the Idaho Smoke Blog for more information at http://idsmoke.blogspot.com/

Your eyes are your best tools to determine if it’s safe to be outside.  Even if you smell smoke, the air quality may still be good. 

AQI Category	Visibility (miles)
Good	11+
Moderate	6-10
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups	3-5
Unhealthy	1½  -2¾
Very Unhealthy	1-1¼
Hazardous	Less than 1

How to estimate air quality based on visibility for areas without an air quality monitor or airport visibility estimate:

a. Face away from the sun.

b. Determine the limit of your visible range by looking for targets at known distances (miles).

c. Visible range is when an object you can easily see in the distance disappears.

d. Use the visibility values above to determine the local wildfire smoke category.

DEQ extends Air Quality Forecast and Caution for North Central Idaho

Due to wildfire smoke throughout the region, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is extending an Air Quality Forecast and Caution to notify residents of Idaho, Nez Perce, Lewis, Clearwater and Latah Counties (off the Nez Perce Reservation) of degraded air quality.  Air quality is currently in the MODERATE category and is forecast to remain in the MODERATE to UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS category for Idaho County and southern Clearwater County.  The other counties have seen some improvement and are forecasted to be in the  Good to Moderate category. Conditions may deteriorate rapidly and move into the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups to Unhealthy categories at times based on fire activity and winds. The pollutant of concern is Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5). An update will be provided on September 1, 2015 at 10:00am.

Health Impacts and Recommended Actions

When air quality is unhealthy, everyone may begin to experience health effects. Members of sensitive groups* may experience more serious effects & should avoid prolonged/heavy exertion & stay indoors. Everyone else should limit prolonged/heavy exertion & limit time outdoors.

Outdoor Burning Restrictions

All outdoor open burning is prohibited by the Department of Environmental Quality Rules for the Control of Air Pollution in Idaho (IDAPA 58.01.01.550).

Contact

For more information, contact DEQ’s Regional Office in Lewiston at (208) 799-4370.

For real-time air monitoring information, visit DEQ’s website at airquality.deq.idaho.gov.

For more information about wildfire smoke, visit Idaho’s Smoke Blog at idsmoke.blogspot.com.

Clearwater-Municipal-Motorway North Complex Monday August 31, 2015

Size:  82,956  total acres      Date Started:  08/10/2015        Percent Containment:  75%                 Personnel Assigned: 544    Equipment:  38 engines                               Cause: Lightning                 Aircraft Assigned: 1 helicopter             Cooler temperatures and light rain on Sunday slowed the spread of fire and no new fire starts were reported. The rain was helpful, but a significant rainfall will be needed to end the fire season. Before the winds increased late morning, a helicopter was used to drop water on the Lost Hat Fire in the Motorway North Complex. The Lost Hat Fire is located five miles southeast of Pierce and continues to burn slowly to the east. As part of the contingency plan, crews widened and cleared a trail near Orofino Creek to be used as a firebreak in the event of a wind shift. Other fires farther east of Pierce (Musselshell Creek, Snowy Summit, Pete Forks, and Yoosa fires) continue to burn slowly to the east in remote, rugged terrain. To most efficiently use the available resources, firefighters are concentrating on structures such as guard shacks, historic sites and fire towers in the area. Yesterday, they wrapped the Weitus Guard station with fire-resistant material and set up a sprinkler system. As a result of the gusty winds, firefighters found a few hot spots and burning snags off Woodland Road in Kamiah. They also cleared fallen trees from roadways and strengthened firelines. Later in the afternoon, fire crews responded to a flare-up within a burned area of the Municipal Fire along Highway 12 near Orofino. Due to the progress made on the Clearwater Complex fires, the two local engine crews on the evening shift did not need to respond to fire activity. Dayshift will continue to patrol and mop up within 100 feet of the firelines. Suppression repair is finished on the Old Greer Fire and will start on the Clearwater Complex soon. As fires wind down, construction equipment is used to rehabilitate firelines and create water bars to reduce erosion. Graders will also be working on the gravel roads. The Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest has been closed, except for the Palouse Ranger District. The closures are listed athttp://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/nezperceclearwater/alerts-notices. Information on the upcoming hunting seasons and areas with limited access may be found on the Idaho Fish and Game site: https://fishandgame.idaho.gov/content/fire. The phone number is 208-344-3700. School has started in Central Idaho. With the increased traffic associated with the fires, drivers should use caution, especially when visibility is limited by smoke. The Southern Area Blue Team continues to manage the Clearwater-Municipal-Motorway North Complex. Fire information updates will be issued under this name. Visit www.facebook.com/centralidahofires for information on Central Idaho fires or http://inciweb.nwcg.gov.

Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests morning update

Kamiah, Idaho, August 31, 2015 - Cooler temperatures and showers slowed the growth of most of the Forests’ fires on Sunday.  Precipitation varied from trace amounts on the southern districts to .7 near Pierce.  Most units also experienced lightning.  With warming and drying predicted today and tomorrow, the weather change was a season slowing event, but not a season ending event. 

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 277 fires which have burned across more than 111,500 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 Crown and Lone Park Fires have become well established north of the Magruder Road #468 and are impacting the road.  They have merged with Little Green.  The District is working with the Selway Complex incident management team to manage these fires.

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:  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. No update available this morning.

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.  No update available this morning.

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.

Motorway Complex Update for August 31 AM

Information Lines: (208) 507-2643 or (208) 926-4170 Monday, August 31, 2015 8:00 a.m.             Motorway Complex (Slide & Woodrat)        Jay Point Fire               Boulder Fire Date Started: 8/14                                      Date Started: 8/17         Date Started: 8/11 Cause:  lightning                                                       Size:  18,157 acres                                    Size: 3,753                       Size: 4,279 Containment: 10%                                     Containment: 10%      Containment: 0% Personnel: 573                                         Personnel: 90               Personnel: 39 Cooperating Agencies: U.S. Forest Service, Idaho County, BLM, Idaho Department of Lands, Idaho State Police, Idaho Transportation Department, Idaho County Light & Power, Clearwater County, and Rural Fire Departments

Weather: The chance of rain is diminishing, due to a warmer dryer weather system pushing into the area. Relative humidity will be in the mid-20s and temperatures will range from 60 - 75 degrees. Yesterday’s rainfall across the fire averaged a third of an inch. The rainfall will reduce fire behavior temporarily. Larger fuels such as logs and stump holes will continue to hold heat. Lighter winds, today will be mostly terrain driven and will not affect fire behavior. Wood Rat:  Crews will take advantage of the break in weather to build fireline directly against to the fire edge. Firelines will be improved by extinguishing hot spots and removing burned trees along the perimeter of the fire.  Firefighters will work to open Swan Creek Road in the Smith Creek area. Crews will improve the dozer line west of Wilson Creek and look for the opportunity to secure the fireline along 07 Ridge. Structure protection will remain in place around residences and firecrews will assess the need to protect structures from any hazards. Slide Fire:  Structure protection will continue along the Selway River corridor from the Fenn Ranger Station to Lowell. Crews will continue to construct fireline above Fenn Ranger Station on Telephone Ridge. Firefighters will monitor and secure the spot fires west of Telephone ridge. Burned out trees and rolling debris continue to remain a concern for firefighter safety. Heavy equipment and handcrews will improve the contingency line in the Johnson Ridge area and another contingency line closer to Lowell. Sprinklers will be placed at three different wooden bridges on Road 46l. Jay Point and Boulder Fires:  Firefighters will utilize heavy equipment and feller bunchers to improve and open roads east of the Jay Point fire. These roads will be used as containment lines and access to the fire for the firefighters. Plans are being developed for structure protection in Powell and the impacts of the Jay Point fire to US Highway 12. Crews for the Jay Point fire are being housed at the Powell Ranger Station. In the Boulder Fire area, heavy equipment will continue to construct a fireline from Granite Pass southwest along the ridge line toward Crooked Fork Creek. Firefighters will provide structure protection and develop a containment strategy that will be used when additional resources are available. The Boulder Fire fighters are based out of a small camp set up at Lolo Hot Springs.

Smoke Concerns: Air quality continues to be unhealthy. For more information on current air quality conditions, visit http://airquality.deq.idaho.gov/ and http://app.airsis.com/USFS/fleet.aspx.  For information about mitigating smoke related health hazards, visit http://idsmoke.blogspot.com/p/smoke-and-health.html   Evacuations: The Level III evacuation for the Syringa area (from Suttler Creek Road down to Highway 12, to Syringa) has been changed to Level II. The Selway River Road is now Level II, but the road is still closed to the public, local resident travel only.   Closures:  There are significant closures of forest lands and roads within the areas of wildfire activity including the Selway River road.  Closures are listed at http://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/nezperceclearwater/alerts-notices. Closures may change, so check back regularly.

Monday, August 31, 2015

Air Quality Advisory Remains in Effect on the Nez Perce Reservation

Description of Air Quality Event:

Due to wildfire smoke from local and regional wildfires, the Air Quality Advisory issued for the Nez Perce Reservation remains in effect. Wildfire smoke will continue to move in and out of the area during the day and overnight.

Affected Areas:        

All areas on the Nez Perce Reservation.

Air Quality Index (AQI) Category:

For those communities in close proximity to the fires, both 24-hour and 1-hour monitor readings can be expected to range from the “Moderate” to “Unhealthy” category.  The western most portion of the Reservation is forecasted to remain in the “Good” to “Moderate” category. Local air quality will improve and worsen as smoke moves in and out of communities. Some areas may be more impacted than others, so please take appropriate precautions.  For AQI health-related information, visit Community Guide to Staying Healthy During Wildfire Smoke Events.

Restrictions:  

No EPA/NPT burn permits will be approved.

Next Update:

These restrictions are in effect through 10:00am Tuesday, September 1^st, 2015.

Nez Perce Tribe ERWM Air Quality Program

208-843-9381 | 1-800-720-4089

airquality@nezperce.org | www.nezperce.org/AirQuality/

Selway Complex Update August 31, 2015

The Baldy and Wash fires  were caused by lightning strikes on August 10th and 13th. The Crown, Lone Park and Noble were caused by lightning strikes on August 17. The Baldy, Crown, Lone Park, and Noble fires are in the Red River Ranger District and the Wash is in the Moose Creek Ranger District of the Nez Perce - Clearwater National Forest near Elk City, Idaho, and are being reported under Selway Complex 2015. With dry conditions, gusty winds, steep terrain and a shortage of firefighting resources due to multiple fire starts and existing fires, the fires quickly grew.  Fires are expected to be active until a significant, season-ending weather event occurs, which may not occur until mid/late October.

Fire	Baldy	Wash	Crown / Lone Park	Noble
Start Date	August 10	August 13	August 17	August 17
Acres*	6,717	33,775	27,474	3,645
Percent Containment	9	0	0	0
Personnel	287	Included in Baldy	Included in Baldy	Included  in Baldy

Yesterday's Events
 

Baldy Fire: Large fire growth was discovered with multiple spots on the north side of the fire.  Firefighters continued assessing structures in the Elk City and Mud Springs area.

Wash Fire: Smoldering fire; has not crossed over Sadler Ridge; has not made it to the Meadow Creek Cabins. Firefighters continued assessing structures and performing structure protection in the Elk City area.  Contingency line completed on Green Ridge.

 

Noble Fire: Large spot fire to the east of Cook Ranch; has burned around the Mallard Creek Ranch; fire is burning in heavy fuels. Firefighters continued structure protection around the Mallard Creek and Cook Ranches.   

Crown/Lone Park Fire: Appears to not have much growth; no columns or headers.

A little precipitation Saturday evening, over the north half of the Red River District provided welcome relief for both firefighters and concerned residents.  Although certainly not suppressing any fires, it did slow fire behavior and activity. 

 

Point protection efforts focused on assessing, preparing, and defending structures in the areas of Mallard Creek Ranch and Cook Ranch.  Elk City, Newsome, the Red River Community (including the Hot Springs) were evaluated for protection needs and some structure protection was completed in those areas.  

Planned Events

Selway Complex firefighters will continue preparation/protection work around structures in the Elk City/Newsome area, Mallard Creek and Cook Ranches, and the Red River Community.  Mop-up will also continue in the lower Mallard Creek Ranch area.

Road Restrictions and Closures

Temporary flight restrictions are over the Selway Complex fires.  The entire Nez Perce National Forest is closed due to fires, with the exception of the Palouse Ranger District.  For more information, visit the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest web site.

Evacuations

A Level 2 Evacuation Alert has been issued for the Elk City and Newsome areas due to potential high winds and fire growth on both the Baldy and Wash Fires and increased fire activity south of Elk City. A Level 2 Evacuation means be ready. This level indicates there is significant danger to your area, and residents should either voluntarily relocate to a shelter or with family/friends outside of the affected area, or if choosing to remain, to be ready at a moment's notice.  

Level 3 evacuations are still in effect for Mallard Creek and Cook Ranches.

Fire Weather

A cool and dry air mass will settle over the fire area today. While daytime temperatures will be mild, the dry air mass will result in low afternoon humidity. With some clearingtonight, temperatures will drop into the mid-30's. Transport winds will continue to be out of the southwest while surface winds could turn northwesterly at times in the afternoon. 

Smoke Concerns:  Air quality continues to be unhealthy.  For more information on current air quality conditions, visit  http://airquality.deq.idaho.gov/.  For information about mitigating smoke related health hazards, visit  http://idsmoke.blogspot.com/p/smoke-and-health.html.

Newsome Evacuation Level Downgraded to Level 2

Due to decreased fire behavior on the Baldy Fire from rain last night and today, the level of evacuation has been recommended to be downgraded from Level 3 to Level 2 for the Newsome Area near Elk City. 

Elk City remains under a Level 2 evacuation.

A level 2 evacuation means there is a high probability of a need to evacuate. 

• You should prepare now by packing necessary items and preparing your family, pets, and vehicle for potential departure. Remember the 6- P's: 

1. A plan for the persons in your family (including a meeting place.) 

2. Personal items (including toiletries, food and water for 2-3 days and special personal possessions.) 

3. Prescriptions- Have your full, current supply of prescriptions packed. 4. Photographs (and other mementos) which cannot be replaced.

5. Pets (Have a plan in place and pets secured so frightened pets don't escape fenced yards or kennels.) 

6. Papers- Pack all important papers, including reference phone numbers, account numbers, etc. 

• Now is the time to move persons with mobility or medical issues. 
• If you have livestock or large animals, please move them to a safe place now! 
• Please use common sense and evacuate at any time you feel uncomfortable or see active fire behavior.

Facebook: Selway Complex 2015                   

 Inciweb:  http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4574/#