Bitterroot Star

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Progress being made on fires to the west of us

by

August 11, 2021

Considerable progress has been made over the last couple of weeks on the numerous fires across the Nez-Perce Clearwater National Forests, with the majority of fires showing minimal growth or activity in the last several days. As such, incoming incident management organizations will a have good starting point for their operations as they navigate through the month of August.

The Cougar Rock Complex is now under the command of a Pennsylvania Type 3 team, and the Granite Pass Complex will see a transfer of command tomorrow (August 11, 2021) to a local Type 3 organization. Local resources continue to be involved, providing institutional knowledge and information for resources coming in to assist the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests’ fire effort.

Current Forest road, trail and area closures can be found on the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests website or by calling your local ranger district

North Fork Ranger District-208-476-4541

The Swanson Creek Fire located 20 miles northeast of Pierce, Idaho is still estimated at 600 acres, although there has been observed spotting across Deep Creek. Steep inaccessible terrain is making suppression actions difficult. Resources have completed the indirect handline from Forest Service Road #246 down to the North Fork of the Clearwater River and will continue to improve and place hose lays where needed. Additional line is being constructed above the FS #246 road and additional roads are being prepped for control lines. Crews are also working on removing accumulated fuels from around USFS infrastructure and historic structures in the area. Fire behavior has moderated in recent days which is allowing fire crews to better prepare containment lines.

The Butte Creek and Benton Ridge Fires located on Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests lands are part of the Cougar Rock Complex.

For more fire information associated with the Cougar Rock Complex:

Reference Closure Orders #01-17-53-21-002, #01-17-53-21-003, #01-17-53-21-004, #01-17-53-21-005, and #01-17-53-21-006 for fires on the North Fork Ranger District.

Storm Theatre Complex (NIMO Team 1)

The Storm Theatre Complex is being managed by Incident Commander Jay Kurth and the National Incident Management Organization (NIMO) Team 1. The NIMO team has been tasked with managing backcountry wildfires within an 815,000-acre area of remote-roadless land, and the Storm Creek Fire. Information about the Storm Theatre Complex will be covered in a separate Daily Update.

For more information about the Storm Theatre Complex:

 Red River Ranger District-208-842-2245

The Lynx Fire continues to be estimated at around 4,900 acres. This fire is located 23 miles east of Elk City, Idaho. Firefighters continue to provide structure protection equipment at Warm Springs Bar to ensure it is operational should it be needed. Minimal fire behavior and growth has been reported over the last several days.

The Dixie and Jumbo Fires total acreage are around 46,000 acres, with 12 acres of growth for the Dixie Fire. The Dixie fire and Jumbo fires are located 15 miles south of Elk City, Idaho, near the communities of Comstock and Dixie. Northern Rockies Type 2 Team #5 has assumed command of the Dixie-Jumbo Fires.

For more information about the Dixie-Jumbo Fires:

  • Fire Information Phone Number: 208-207-7417

Reference Closure Orders #01-17-05-21-002 and #01-17-05-21-003 for fires on the Red River Ranger District.

Lochsa Ranger District-208-926-4274

The Greenside Butte Fire is approximately 725 acres and is located 8 miles southwest of Fish Lake Airstrip in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. Potential impacts to Forest Service Trail #211 are currently being assessed, and Horse Camp Cabin has structure protection in place.

Reference Closure Orders #01-17-55-21-003, #01-17-55-21-015, and #01-17-55-21-019 for fires on the Lochsa Ranger District.

Powell Ranger District-208-942-3113

The Granite Pass Complex is under the command of Northern Rockies Type 1 Team #1. The BM Hill, Shotgun, and Boulder Creek Fires are managed under the Granite Pass Complex.

Closure Order Update:  Due to limited activity and progress made, the forest area closure will be reduced on the Missoula Ranger District/Lolo National Forest (Montana Side)of the complex, opening the east side of Highway 12. Closure orders for the west side will remain, however are being modified to fully open the Howard Creek drainage and allow access between Fish Creek and Highway 12. For more information, access the InciWeb link below.

For more information on the Granite Pass Complex:

Special Note:  Lolo Pass Visitor Center is now open Wednesday through Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. PDT; however, portions of the parking lot may still be utilized by aviation and ground resources. Please drive slowly and be mindful of any fire resources that may be working in the area.

Reference Closure Orders #01-17-55-21-007, #01-17-55-21-008, #01-17-55-21-010, #01-17-55-21-016, #01-17-55-21-018, and #01-17-55-21-020 for fires on the Powell Ranger District.

The Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests Fire Information hotline is 208-494-1661. This line is staffed from 8 a.m.- 8 p.m. daily for general forest closure questions and general fire information questions. More specific questions on fires managed by incident management teams should be directed to that specific fire’s information number. The public may also call their local Ranger District Office for closure information.

Official forest closure orders are in effect for multiple fires. Please refer to the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests’ website for the Stage II Fire Restrictions and official closure orders: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/nezperceclearwater/home/?cid=fsm91_055753

Temporary flight restrictions are in place over fire areas for the safety of the public and aerial firefighting resources. These restrictions also apply to unmanned aircraft systems (drones). Remember, “If you fly, we can’t.”

Please continue to check for updated information on emerging fires on the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests website (https://bit.ly/NPCFireInfo), on social media at www.facebook.com/NPClwNFs  and www.twitter.com/NPClwNFs, on the forest’s official mobile app (search “Nez Perce Clearwater” in your app store), or by calling your local ranger station. Report all wildfires to the Grangeville Interagency Dispatch Center (208-983-6800) or call 911.

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