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Additional resources, including three crews and three skidgens, have arrived at the Ratio Mountain Fire, located 20 miles north/northwest of Whitehall between Ratio Mountain and Whitetail Reservoir. An Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) mapping and reconnaissance flight last evening puts the fire at 37 acres.

The fire is burning in an area that has recently experienced several large fires. Fire footprints (or previously burned areas) lie to the north (State Creek Fire of 2020), the south (McCluskey Fire of 2019), and the west (Placer Fire of 2021) of the fire location. 

Crews and equipment will improve and utilize existing control features (prepped firelines) from these previous fire incidents, starting north of the fire along Hay Canyon Road and working southward along Pony Creek to Lower Whitetail Road. These control lines will be utilized for strategic burnout operations to remove fuels between the constructed line and the fire’s active edge to prevent easterly progression of the fire beyond the Hay Canyon and Lower Whitetail Roads. 
Both hand ignitions (drip torches) and aerial ignitions (helicopters and UAS) may be used in these operations. These strategic burnout operations, planned to occur this week, are highly dependent on weather conditions; incident commanders will monitor forecasted and actual conditions. If conditions are conducive to the burnout operations, smoke may be visible from several adjacent areas.

This fire suppression tactic is an effective method of reducing the available fuels ahead of an active fire edge, while reducing the potential for negative impacts to identified and prioritized values and resource damage caused when high-severity fire occurs in timbered areas.

The entire area, including the previous fire footprints and the area immediately surrounding the Ratio Mountain fire, contains a large concentration of standing dead trees (“snags”) that pose challenges to ensuring firefighter safety and in responding to potential medical emergencies, jeopardizing the well-being of firefighters and other responders. 

Firefighters are urging the public to stay clear of the area for safety reasons. An area closure around the fire area is likely in the near future.