Ross Fork Fire Daily Update                                                     

September 16, 2022

Fire Information: Email: 2022.rossfork@firenet.gov 
Phone: 208-329-6044 daily from 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. 
Sawtooth National Forest Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sawtoothnationalforest

YouTube: https://youtu.be/Ll7iJz55hnI Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8375

Containment:  28%

Cause: Lightning

Acreage: 37,775 Acres

Location: Sawtooth National Forest, Idaho

Fuel Type: Timber Litter/Timber/Short Grass

Scattered rain showers will return to the fire area this afternoon. Light winds will also pick up today. If the fuels dry out, we could see some fire activity this afternoon. Fire behavior is expected to be isolated, moderate and inside the fire perimeter. Going into the weekend, however, strong winds and the potential for dry conditions may return. Crews will continue to patrol the fire area and take any necessary actions.  

Today a crew will travel into the southwest corner of the fire, near the point of origin on the Ross Fork. The crew will remove structure protection equipment that was placed around two historic cabins. If conditions allow, helicopters will help pull the equipment out of the backcountry.

Hazardous tree removal has been completed throughout interior roadways effected by the fire in the Beaver Creek and Smiley Creek area. Bulldozer line repair will be completed today. Chipping will continue from the Beaver Creek area to Road 215, the Salmon River Road. Firefighters are still working along roadways throughout the fire area, so please drive carefully.

On Wednesday, crews took the opportunity to practice critical medical emergency skills during their final full night shift. Wildland firefighters use a standard “8 line” process to guide their response to medical emergencies within a larger fire incident. Practicing the response plan facilitates consistent and timely care to injured fire personnel. Safety Officer Dan Albee stated, “it is important to take opportunities to practice these skills in the real-world environment that firefighters risk their lives in every day.”

The USDA Forest Service and Idaho Department of Lands initiated Stage 1 fire restrictions on the Sawtooth North Zone, effective Sunday, September 11. The order encompasses lands north of Highway 20 to the northern most Sawtooth National Forest boundary situated in Blaine, Camas, and portions of Custer, Elmore, and Boise counties, can be found at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1059189.pdf. Stage 1 fire restrictions apply to all state, state endowment, and private land in the North Zone that lie within the boundary of the Sawtooth National Forest.

TRAFFIC AND DRIVING CONDITIONS:  Highway 75 is open. Current road information is at https://511.idaho.gov/.

CLOSURES AND RESTRICTIONS:  Closure order 0414-05-060 has been issued by the Sawtooth National Forest for areas surrounding the #RossForkFire on the Sawtooth National Recreation Area AND Fairfield Ranger District. Visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/sawtooth/alerts-notices, to check for updates.

EVACUATIONS:  All areas that had evacuation areas have been reduced to “READY” status. Any areas within the forest closure are not open to the public, unless private property can be accessed without using forest roads inside the closure. The Galena area is also in “READY” status – trails, forest roads, and public facilities in that area are open, if they are outside the forest closure area. Visit https://www.blainesheriff.com/152/Sheriff for more information. 98ew0

TOTAL FIRE RESOURCES ASSIGNED:

Personnel

655,

Hand Crews

15,

Engines

34,

Helicopters

8

Visit our website at: www.fs.usda.gov/Sawtooth and on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/sawtoothnationalforest