Single Publication

The Central Idaho Dispatch Zone is at MODERATE Fire Danger 

Salmon, Idaho- October 4, 2022- The Salmon-Challis National Forest has had one (1) new fire in the last week.  To date, there have been 48 wildfires reported on the Salmon-Challis National Forest.  41 of those reported fires are out.   

Patterson Fire (September 29): The lightning fire is estimated at 37 acres.  The fire is located approximately 13 miles southeast of May on the Challis-Yankee Fork Ranger District.  The fire is burning in subalpine and Douglas fir.  Firefighters are on scene; the fire is under a combination of a point protection and confine and contain strategies.  This strategy focuses operations on protecting valued resources such as structures, natural resources, cultural resources, and other property.  Additionally, firefighters are working to safely connect natural barriers in the area and improving access and holding feature in the area.  Risk to responders and public safety is the number priority for the Patterson Fire.  

Horse Fire (September 8): The fire, located approximately 5½ miles northwest of Corn Creek on the North Fork Ranger District in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness is estimated at 397 acres.  The fire is burning in lodgepole, fir, and snags.  The fire is being managed under a point protection strategy.  Fire activity is minimal, the fire is smoldering in the interior of the perimeter.  The fire can be found on InciWeb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8416/.  

Owl Fire (September 8): The fire, located approximately 20 miles west of North Fork on the North Fork Ranger District, is 747 acres.  The fire, burning in grass, brush, Douglas fir, and snags is 100% contained.  The fire is on InciWeb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8416/.   

Norton (August 1):  The lightning fire is located approximately seven miles northwest of Lower Loon Creek on the Middle Fork Ranger District in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness.  The 9,054 acre fire burning in subalpine fir, Douglas fir, sagebrush, and grass is located in steep rugged terrain.  Fire activity is minimal, the fire is smoldering with most of the activity on the west side of the fire.  The fire is under a point protection strategy, fire managers are utilizing air resources to determine action points and assess values in the vicinity.  Fire managers continue to assess the fire using remote cameras and aircraft.  The fire can be found on InciWeb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8308/.   

Moose (July 17):  The fire is being updated separately and can be found on InciWeb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8249/. 

Woodtick (July 14):  The lightning fire started as two separate fires approximately six (6) miles west, northwest of Meyers Cove on the Middle Fork Ranger District in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness.  The 9,598 acre fire burning in timber, grass, and brush is located in steep rugged terrain.  Fire activity is minimal, the fire is creeping.  The fire is under a point protection and confine and contain strategies with risk to responders and public safety being the top priority.  The fire can be found on InciWeb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8253/. 

Wolf Fang Fire (July 13):  The lightning fire is located approximately four (4) miles northeast of the confluence of Big Creek and the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness on the North Fork Ranger District.  The 2,082 acre fire burning in spruce and fir is located in steep, rugged terrain.  Fire activity is minimal, the fire is smoldering.  Risk to responders and public safety are the top priorities for the Wolf Fang Fire.  Due to the inaccessibility of the terrain and snag hazards a remote camera and aviation are assessing the fire daily.  The fire can be found on InciWeb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8273/.  

Weather:  Under the influence of high pressure through the weekend, warm and dry conditions will prevail through Friday with a slight cooldown expected over the weekend. Afternoon humidities will remain dry as winds stay light through the start of next week. Our next system is on track to arrive midweek next week with increased winds ahead of and during the event with chances for rain and high elevation snow. 

The forest is asking visitors to be aware of the MODERATE fire danger for the Salmon-Challis National Forest.  One Less Spark Means One Less Wildfire.  

Nationally, there are 13 uncontained large fires being managed under a full suppression strategy and 66 large fires managed under a strategy other than full suppression.  

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