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  • wildfire Wildfire
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Owl Fire

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Unit Information

Salmon-Challis National Forest 
1206 S. Challis Street 
Salmon, 
Idaho 
83467 
Salmon-Challis National Forest 
1206 S. Challis Street 
Salmon, 
Idaho 
83467 

Incident Contacts

Hunting in Fire Season: Know Before You Go

Owl Fire
Publication Type: News -

 Fire closures and restrictions can limit access for hunters – Know Before You Go! 

Idaho’s early hunting seasons often coincide with fire season, and hunters should consider that when planning trips. If they’re traveling to their favorite hunting spots, it’s important to stay informed about current fire condition and fire restrictions that can affect their hunts. Our partners at the Idaho Fish and Game have a very informative wildland fire webpage that can help answer questions concerning  wildfires and hunting areas/units > https://idfg.idaho.gov/fire?_ga=2.213993172.2109363415.1663163136-299610542.1662848158.  For more details about active wildland fires in Salmon Challis area (Idaho Fish and Game Salmon Region), please visit the Incident Information System or InciWeb pages: Additionally, here are some helpful tips for hunters during fire season, please #KnowBeforeYourGo: Plan ahead - Check your hunting area in advance and see if there are fire closures or access restrictions due to fire danger. (The first is where wildfires are happening; the second is where land managers restrict access to prevent fires.) You may have to delay your hunt or switch to a different spot.  Be on the lookout for fires - If you spot a wildfire, report it immediately by calling 911. Hunters may want to carry a shovel and water jug in their vehicles to put out any campfires they see unattended. Stay away from firefighting activities and abide by closures - Sometimes area closures seem to extend far beyond the actual fire, and hunters may be tempted to sneak into their favorite spot, but it is illegal to enter a closed area, and fires can move fast when conditions are right. Moose Fire Closure Information - https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/closures/8249/  Be patient - Most fires are typically extinguished or under control by fall hunts. If you know fires are burning in your hunting area, you may want to delay your hunts, or choose another area. Land managers typically do their best to reopen public land for hunting season, but sometimes they can't.  Be careful with all fires, vehicles, and motorized equipment –  •            Be aware of the potential consequences of activities in fire-prone environments during extreme drought conditions.  Avoid unattended cooking or warming fires, sparks from ammunition rounds, and improper disposal of cigarettes/smoking materials, etc. •            Maintain awareness of your surroundings. Plan ahead, review maps, and know your escape route during changing wildfire conditions.  •            Driving and parking motorized vehicles, including RVs and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), over dry grass and leaves may start a fire.  •            Always check for any campfire and outdoor cooking restrictions.   What should I be thinking or looking for when hunting in the black or a recent burned area? 
  • Snags – fire weaken trees are very hazardous so please look up and around when walking through snags. If possible, take an alternate route. 
  • Rolling rocks, logs, or debris flows – post-fire burned areas, where vegetation has been completely removed, has the potential for rocks and logs to break loss and roll downhill. 
  • Debris flows and mudslides - Rainstorms increases the possibility of potentially dangerous debris flows, a geologic hazard that is often identified in the news as mudflows or mudslides. A debris flow is a fast-moving mass of material slurries of water, rock, soil, vegetation, and even boulders and trees – that moves downhill by sliding, flowing and/or falling. 
  • Unburned islands – typically, wildland fires have a mosaic type burn patterns that leave unburned islands within the black. These islands have the potential to hold heat in the duff that can ignite the unburned fuel. If you see a flare-up, please stay clear of the area. 
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