Ross Fork Fire Daily Update

September 13, 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:  13%

Cause: Lightning

 Acreage: 37,612 Acres

Location: Sawtooth National Forest, Idaho

Fuel Type: Timber Litter/Timber/Short Grass

A community meeting will be held in Fairfield on Wednesday, September 14 at 6 p.m., at the Camas County Senior Center, 129 Willow Ave. West. Fire personnel will give an update on fire activity and answer questions. The event will be recorded and shared on the fire’s YouTube channel and the Sawtooth NF Facebook page.

Light rain fell across parts of the fire area intermittently overnight and this morning. More moisture will be spreading across the region today with isolated showers and the potential brief, heavy rain. The weather will moderate fire behavior but firefighters will still be hard at work across the Ross Fork Fire, putting out hot spots, strengthening fire lines, assessing and preparing structures, and removing hazardous trees along roadways. The fire behavior analyst (FBAN) on the Ross Fork Fire says the moisture will, for now, prevent grasses and sagebrush from burning. Heavier fuels – large trees both alive and dead – will continue to burn until larger amounts of rain or snow fall.

Heavy helicopters were in the air Monday, dropping buckets of water to “check-up” the fire in areas where the fire was burning the hottest. Water drops decrease the fire’s intensity and slow its rate of spread. This tactic was used in the Vienna Creek drainage and Jake’s Gulch, southwest of Alturas Lake. Ground crews were at work on roads inside the fire perimeter, cutting hazardous trees along roadways so they will be safe for travel when the area is reopened.

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 has been open continuously for the past five days but still may be subject to intermittent safety closures. Current road information is at https://511.idaho.gov/.

CLOSURES AND RESTRICTIONS: Closure order 0414-05-059 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, for more information.

AIR QUALITY: Wildfire smoke can be hazardous to your health. For more information, please visit: https://www.airnow.gov

EVACUATIONS: The Pettit Lake Road, Cabin Creek Road, and Alturas Lake areas have been reduced to “SET” evacuation status, meaning anyone still in that area should be ready to leave immediately. Smiley Creek and Sawtooth City remain in “GO” evacuation status, which means evacuate now. Visit https://www.blainesheriff.com/152/Sheriff for more information. The Galena area remains in “SET” status. Public lands in all these areas remain closed.

TOTAL FIRE RESOURCES ASSIGNED

Personnel

712

Hand Crews

14

Engines

48

Helicopters

8

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