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Wildfire season begins on Idaho Panhandle
National Forests |
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July 13, 2017 |
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| North Fork
Hughes Fire |
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The Priest Lake Ranger District has two small
wildfires. As of Monday, firefighters were
actively suppressing a one-acre fire, the Cedar
Creek Fire, believed to have been caused by
lightning, that is burning in the Cedar Creek
drainage.
Approximately five miles west of the of Cedar
Creek Fire, the North Fork Hughes Fire, located
north of Hughes Meadows in the upper Hughes
Creek drainage, is approximately 45 acres and
highly visible from the Priest Lake recreation
area. This fire, believed to have been caused by
lighting, was located by firefighters on July 4.
Smokejumpers were sent to suppress the fire, but
after three days, due to safety concerns, they
disengaged.
Steep, rugged terrain is challenging; presenting
multiple safety concerns for firefighters on the
North Fork Hughes Fire. The fire is burning in a
remote location within the Salmo Priest
Wilderness where access is very limited. The
fire is burning in very large trees on a steep
slope, creeping and burning downslope.
As it burns, trees are falling, posing
significant hazards to firefighters. One of the
challenges with this fire is that because of the
heavy dense timber, retardant and water are not
effective as the fire is currently burning
inside of cedars trees.
Fire managers are considering several variables
and evaluating the fire from both air and
ground.
It has been determined that firefighters cannot
safely engage the fire due to remoteness, rugged
terrain, heavy fuels, snags, lack of helicopter
landing spots, escape routes and safety zones.
As fire managers develop a strategic action plan
to manage this fire, Chandra Neils, Acting
Priest Lake District Ranger, said, "The plan
will give the highest priority to firefighter
and public safety, with safe, efficient, and
mindful management decisions.”
Information on the North Fork Hughes Fire will
be updated as needed. To subscribe to these
updates, go to
https://inciweb.nwcg.gov
and select “North Fork Hughes Fire” from the
dropdown. For additional information, contact
Kary Maddox at (208) 443-6835.
Due to high heat and dry condition, regional
fire conditions are expected to stay high to
very high through the next several weeks, and
everyone is encouraged to be extremely careful
with all fires, especially if in the forests or
back country. |
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