We invite the public a Moose Fire Community Meeting Thursday, August 4 at 6:00 PM at Sacajawea Center Amphitheater at 2700 Main Street in Salmon Idaho.

 Moose Fire Daily Update

August 3, 2022 

Fire Information: 208-742-6690 daily from 6 a.m. - 10 p.m. Email: 2022.moose@firenet.gov 

Salmon-Challis National Forest Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/salmonchallisnf 

Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8249/ 

Contained 20% 

        Human caused; 

     under investigation 

 62,410 acres 

West and south of North Fork, Idaho – Pine Creek and Stormy Peak areas 

Grass/Brush/Timber 

The Moose Fire began on July 17th near the confluence of Moose Creek and the Salmon River. The fire is determined to be human caused and remains under investigation. 

Great Basin Team 1 assumed command of the Moose Fire this morning, replacing the outgoing Great Basin Team 2. Incident Commander, Evans Kuo, emphasized continuing and building upon the operational strategies planned by the outgoing team. Firefighters are still focusing work on the Diamond Line and Ridge Road, where a multi-day strategic firing operation is underway to protect the Highway 93 corridor and Salmon Municipal Watershed. However, yesterday localized winds aligned with the Salmon River Canyon, igniting spot fires on the east side of Highway 93, causing a temporary closure of the highway. The fires were quickly contained and the highway re-opened. Firefighters also quickly responded to spot fires south of the Diamond Line and are working to secure those areas. 

Structure assessments and protection continue in Panther Creek, Pine Creek, Shoup, and Leesburg areas, and along Highway 93. The fire continues to move to the southeast in the vicinity of Stormy Peak Road and Pine Creek Ridge. Further south, firefighters are working to strengthen fuel breaks along the Ridge Road and Williams Creek Road. 

Warm, dry weather continues to produce conditions for rapid fire growth. Temperatures are forecast to be in the upper 80s and low 90s though next Monday. Thunderstorms and scattered showers could develop Thursday and Friday, with potential for gusty, erratic winds, and lightning. The fire could also again quickly move through drainages as localized winds align with topography. 

The Pilot Car System on Salmon River Road continues to operate with two-way traffic between North Fork and Panther Creek, with a pilot car on both ends. Be prepared for potential temporary delays through the fire area. The pilot car system is for residents, river permit holders and river shuttles.  The road is closed to all other traffic.  Alternative route: Williams Creek Rd (021) to Deep Creek Rd (101), then north on Panther Creek Rd (055). Stay on the most traveled roadway. This route is long and unpaved, and drivers should be prepared for heavy mining and recreation traffic, including semi-trucks and vehicles with trailers. Please exercise caution when driving near fire activity! Dust, smoke, and increased traffic volumes all pose hazards. Slow down, use headlights, and be alert. 

EVACUATIONS and SHELTER: The Lemhi County Sheriff has placed Zone 2 (both sides of Highway 93 from Tower Creek to North Fork) in “SET” evacuation status. Zones 7 & 8 (Squaw Creek to Pine Creek on the Salmon River Rd) and Zone 1 (Tower Creek to Carmen, west of Salmon River) are at "SET" status. All other zones are in “Ready” status. The latest updates from the Lemhi County Sheriff’s Office can be found at https://www.lemhicountyidaho.org/site-home/urgent-alerts/latest-updates-moose-creek-fire. The fire remains very active and all residents in proximity of the fire should follow the Ready!Set!Go! guidance. A shelter is available at the Salmon Valley Baptist Church (1230 Cemetery Street; Phone: 208-756-3324) and can assist with placement of pets. 

CLOSURES AND RESTRICTIONS: The Salmon‐Challis National Forest has implemented the Moose Fire Emergency Area, Road, and Trail Closure, Order #04‐13‐22‐505. Details and a closure map can be found at https://bit.ly/3BotHEf. Stage 1 Fire restrictions are in effect in East Central Idaho on the Salmon-Challis National Forest, BLM and State of Idaho lands in Custer and Lemhi Counties, excluding wilderness areas. A temporary flight restriction is in place in the fire area; see https://tfr.faa.gov. 

TOTAL FIRE RESOURCES ASSIGNED 

Personnel 

937 

Hand Crews 

25 

Engines 

48 

Helicopters 

4 Type 1; 2 Type 2; 4 Type 4 

Update as of 8/2/22 5:07pm - Evacuation update from Lemhi County Sheriff

All residents in Zone 2 have been moved to SET status.
ALL other areas have no status change.

Sign up for CodeRED alerts for the latest fire information in your area: https://www.onsolve.com/landing/sign-up-for-codered-emergency-alerts/?fbclid=IwAR2QF5C36TxPGoD9jmLSFp_zVq6b1NjeKdWxfjH6XrPsaWdUpTibJ2UHp_s

Special Statement
Idaho DEQ has issued an air quality alert for Lemhi County.

Fire
Under cloudy conditions, fire activity should moderate today compared to last week. Growth will be focused in the southern and southeastern portions of the fire, including Pine Creek Ridge, Moose Creek Drainage, and along the US93 corridor south of Comet Creek. Meanwhile, strategic firing operations to protect valuable resources continue east of Diamond Ridge. Additional details on the Moose Fire is available at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8249/.

Smoke
Yesterday afternoon, showers and gusty winds associated with a weak frontal passage helped to clear smoke across the region. Smoke will gradually return this afternoon with MODERATE air quality with periods of UNHEALTHY for SENSITIVE GROUPS (USG) in the Salmon and Lemhi River Valleys from North Fork to Lemhi. Outside of this area, air quality should average in the GOOD to MODERATE range in Cobalt and Elk Bend.

Moose Fire Daily Update August 2, 2022

Fire Information: 208-742-6690 daily from 6am – 10pmEmail: 2022.moose@firenet.gov
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/salmonchallisnf
Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8249/

Containment: 23%

Cause: Human Caused – Under Investigation

Size: 58,168 acres

General Location: West and south of North Fork, Idaho – Pine Creek and Stormy Peak areas

Fuel Type: Grass/Brush/Timber

The Moose Fire began on July 17th near the confluence of Moose Creek and the Salmon River. The fire is determined to be human caused and remains under investigation.

Yesterday, fire activity was moderated through the majority of the day, allowing firefighters to conduct burnout operations along the Diamond Line on the east side of the fire above the Highway 93 corridor.  The Diamond line is the primary fire line intended to hold the fire to the north and prevent it from moving further south.  Just west of the Salmon River, firefighters assisted by Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS - drones) brought the fire down to the river in a controlled manner to protect homes and private property.  As a primary objective of the incident is to protect the community of Salmon and its municipal watershed, work on the Diamond line and the Ridge Road continues to be the focus of firefighting efforts.  Helicopters and airtankers will again be used to assist firefighters as necessary.

To the west of the Ridge Road, the fire continues to spread in a southeasterly direction in the area of Stormy Peak Road west of Moose Creek, and further west along Pine Creek Ridge.  The Williams Creek Road and the Ridge Road continue to be the primary holding line to protect the municipal watershed from the west.  In Panther Creek, crews continue to improve the fire line to prevent the fire from moving to the west.  Structure protection in the Shoup area and in Pine Creek continues to be successful.  The north side of the fire is contained from Pine Creek east to North Fork with crews continuing to mop up and further secure the line.

PILOT CAR: The Pilot Car System on Salmon River Road continues to operate with two-way traffic, with a pilot car on both ends.  Be prepared for potential temporary delays through the fire area. The pilot car system is for residents, river permit holders and river shuttles.  The road is closed to all other traffic. Alternative route: Williams Creek Rd (021) to Deep Creek Rd (101), then north on Panther Creek Rd (055). Stay on the most traveled roadway. This route is long and unpaved, and drivers should be prepared for heavy mining and recreation traffic, including semi-trucks and vehicles with trailers.
 
EVACUATIONS:  The Lemhi County Sheriff has placed Zone 2 (both sides of Highway 93 from Tower Creek to North Fork) in “GO” evacuation status.  Zones 7 & 8 (Squaw Creek to Pine Creek on the Salmon River Rd) and Zone 1 (Tower Creek to Carmen, west of Salmon River) are at "SET" status. All other zones are in “Ready” status. The latest updates from the Lemhi County Sheriff’s Office can be found at https://www.lemhicountyidaho.org/site-home/urgent-alerts/latest-updates-moose-creek-fire.  The fire remains very active and all residents in proximity of the fire should follow the Ready!Set!Go! guidance.
 
CLOSURES AND RESTRICTIONS:  The Salmon‐Challis National Forest has implemented the Moose Fire Emergency Area, Road, and Trail Closure, Order #04‐13‐22‐505. Details and a closure map can be found at https://bit.ly/3BotHEf .  Stage 1 Fire restrictions are in effect in East Central Idaho on the Salmon-Challis National Forest, BLM and State of Idaho lands in Custer and Lemhi Counties, excluding wilderness area.

 TOTAL FIRE RESOURCES ASSIGNED

Personnel: 1065
Hand Crews: 29
Engines: 59
Helicopters: 4 Type 1, 2 Type 2, and 4 Type 3

Visit our website at: www.fs.usda.gov/scnf/

‘Like Us’ on Facebook @salmonchallisnf

‘Follow Us’ on Twitter @salmonchallisnf https://twitter.com/SalmonChallisNF

Special Statement
Idaho DEQ has issued an air quality alert for Lemhi County.

Fire
Active fire behavior is expected the next two days. On Monday, southerly winds ahead of an approaching weak cold front will briefly hinder fire spread before winds switch to the west late in the day. Active fire areas will include surface fire with large group torching/long-range spotting near Pine Creek Ridge, surface fire with some torching within the Moose Creek Drainage, and scattered areas of surface fire and group-tree torching along the US93 corridor near Comet Creek. In addition, strategic firing operations overnight were successful east of Diamond Ridge. Additional information on the Moose Fire is available at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8249/.

Smoke
With low relative humidity, active burning produced noticeable smoke last night near Salmon that persisted into the early morning. Southerly winds today will steer smoke towards North Fork before winds switch to the west. North Fork should see an increase in smoke, averaging MODERATE for the next few days. Air quality in the Carmen to Salmon corridor will average in the UNHEALTHY for SENSITIVE GROUPS (USG) range, with periods of UNHEALTHY likely later in the afternoon. Lemhi should see a some improvement but should still average MODERATE. Meanwhile, periods of MODERATE air quality are expected in Williams Lake and Cobalt.

Moose Fire Daily Update

Fire Information: 208-742-6690 daily from 6 a.m. - 10 p.m. Email: 2022.moose@firenet.gov 

Salmon-Challis National Forest Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/salmonchallisnf 

Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8249/ 
 
 
56,049 acres, 23% contained. Human caused - under investigation. West of North Fork, Idaho. Grass, brush and timber fuels. 

*JOIN US: Virtual Community Meeting on the Salmon-Challis Facebook Page and on Teams (https://bit.ly/3Buhn5k, Monday, August 1st 6:00pm – 7:00pm 

Discussion of strategies and plans to protect the Salmon Municipal Watershed 
 

The Moose Fire began on July 17th near the confluence of Moose Creek and the Salmon River.  

Yesterday, temperatures and fire activity were moderated early in the day by 2 smoke layers – smoke from the Moose Fire and a fire in Northern California. After 3 p.m., the smoke lifted and fire activity increased producing visible columns in Pine Creek, along the Stormy Peak Road west of Moose Creek, and on the east side of the fire in the Napoleon Creek and Comet Creek areas. Drones were used in strategic firing operations to remove fuels between the fire front and the large indirect containment line, the Diamond Line, and to bring the fire down to the river just north of Comet Creek. Large airtankers dropped retardant along the Diamond line to slow the growth of any spot fires that could be started by falling embers. Fire activity, due to high heat and low humidity, continued late into the night. 

Today, elements of increased fire activity remain present: wind, high temperatures, low humidity and dry fuels. A 20% chance of thunderstorms exists with a low probability of precipitation. In the morning while the atmosphere is capped with smoke and winds to the south prevail, favorable conditions exist for firefighters to achieve objectives and stall fire spread into new fuels. When the inversion lifts and the wind shifts to coming from the west, high temperatures are expected to return and fire activity will increase.  There westerly winds are forecasted to increase to 15-20mph.   
 

The Pilot Car System on Salmon River Road is scheduled to run with two-way traffic today (a pilot car on both ends) with potential for temporary delays. The pilot car system is for residents, river permit holders and river shuttles.  The road is closed to all other traffic.  Alternative route: Williams Creek Rd (021) to Deep Creek Rd (101), then north on Panther Creek Rd (055). Stay on the most traveled roadway. This route is long and unpaved, and drivers should be prepared for heavy mining and recreation traffic, including semi-trucks and vehicles with trailers.  

EVACUATIONS:  The Lemhi County Sheriff has placed Zone 2 (both sides of Highway 93 from Tower Creek to North Fork) in “GO” evacuation status.  Zones 7 & 8 (Squaw Creek to Pine Creek on the Salmon River Rd) and Zone 1 (Tower Creek to Carmen, west of Salmon River) are at "SET" status. All other zones are in “Ready” status. The latest updates from the Lemhi County Sheriff’s Office can be found at https://www.lemhicountyidaho.org/site-home/urgent-alerts/latest-updates-moose-creek-fire.  The fire remains very active and all residents in proximity of the fire should follow the Ready!Set!Go! guidance.  

CLOSURES AND RESTRICTIONS:  The Salmon‐Challis National Forest has implemented the Moose Fire Emergency Area, Road, and Trail Closure, Order #04‐13‐22‐505. Details and a closure map can be found at https://bit.ly/3BotHEf .  Stage 1 Fire restrictions are in effect in East Central Idaho on the Salmon-Challis National Forest, BLM and State of Idaho lands in Custer and Lemhi Counties, excluding wilderness area. 
 
 
 TOTAL FIRE RESOURCES ASSIGNED: 960 personnel, 19 hand crews, 60 engines. Helicopters: four type 1, two type 2, three type 3. 
 

Visit our website at: www.fs.usda.gov/scnf/, ‘Like Us’ on Facebook @salmonchallisnf, and ‘Follow Us’ on Twitter @salmonchallisnf https://twitter.com/SalmonChallisNF. 

The Incident Command Team for the Moose Fire will be holding a virtual community meeting through Facebook Live and Microsoft Teams from 6 to 7 pm on Monday, August 1. The meeting will be covering the operations being planned and implemented to protect the municipal watershed for the city of Salmon.

To join via Teams:
- Click here to join the meeting
- or call in (audio only) at: 929-336-2435
- phone ID #: 318 180 045#
 

To join via Facebook, go to the Salmon-Challis National Forest Facebook page to find the Facebook Live meeting: https://fb.me/e/26LXBI8Xe

You don't need a Facebook account to use the Facebook Live link nor do you need to have MS Teams to join the meeting.

Firefighters on the Moose Fire will be reinforcing the “Diamond Line” this evening as critically hot, dry weather and increasing fire activity continue to move the fire toward Diamond Creek. Great Basin Team 2 has identified this line as a top priority for firefighting operations to protect the Salmon Municipal Watershed and other values at risk to the south.

As smoke conditions allow, heavy tanker planes will be dropping retardant on the south side of the line to slow the growth of any spots that could be started by falling embers. While retardant alone isn’t enough to stop the fire, it will slow the spread to provide time for firefighters on the ground to reach these areas.

Fire managers may begin using strategic firing operations along the north side of the line to remove fuels between the Diamond Line and the fire front. If these firing operations take place, smoke and flame will be visible from the City of Salmon and the surrounding community. If you see increased fire activity in this area, it may be part of the proactive burning strategy and does not mean that the fire has jumped the line.

We will provide updates on the Salmon-Challis Facebook and Twitter pages as conditions change.

Special Statement
Idaho DEQ has issued an air quality alert for Lemhi County until Monday at 3 pm.

Fire
Fire behavior will undergo a transition over the new two days. On Sunday, WNW winds and vigorous mixing will promote large group torching near Point of Rocks, as well as active surface fires near the Moose Creek Drainage. Scattered areas of surface fire and group-tree torching will continue along the US93 corridor near Red Rocks. Southerly winds on Monday will help to check fire spread. Additional information on the Moose Fire is available at: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8249/

Smoke
 A “thermal” belt around 5000’ supported overnight burning, leading to more morning smoke today (Sunday) compared to previous days. With WNW winds directing smoke to the Carmen/Salmon area, air quality in the MODERATE to UNHEALTHY for SENSITIVE GROUPS (USG) range is again expected today. Late in the day, periods of UNHEALTHY will be observed. Meanwhile, fires in California and British Columbia will begin to add background smoke and haze. Whereas outlying areas enjoyed GOOD air quality the past few days, periods of MODERATE air quality will occur on Sunday. Southerly winds on Monday will tend to push smoke away from most forecast areas, except for North Fork which should encounter MODERATE to USG conditions at times.