Update for 9-8-12
Incident: Halstead Wildfire
Released: 9/8/2012
Start Date: July 27, 2012 Cause: Lightning
Current Size: 148,773 acres Containment: 30%
Location: Approx. 3 miles north of Stanley, Idaho
Jurisdiction: USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Region, Salmon-Challis National Forest
Resources on the fire: 553 personnel - 7 hand crews, 27 engines, and 6 helicopters
What Happened Yesterday: Aerial ignitions resumed between Mormon Bend and Sunbeam. This should reduce the risk of head fire and spotting across the Salmon River. Power was restored to the Boy Scout Camp after being inspected. Fire continued to approach the Cow Camp area northwest of Stanley where crews put in hand line to prepare for the fire to back down the slope. "Mop up," putting out smoldering logs and stumps, was continued along various portions of the fire and rehabilitation of fire line was begun. Control lines that have held for several days with hose lays and portable pumps are being broken down and rolled up. Other more active parts of the fire are approaching the Lost Packer Mine and Seafoam Guard Station. They continue to be staffed during the day with personnel who implement a fire suppression system of sprinklers around the structures. The fire did not cross Marsh Creek. The major objectives of preventing fire spread across Highway 21 and 75 remain a high priority. No structures have been damaged or destroyed. While the fire perimeter didn't change much, an additional 1,600 acres burned on the interior of the fire.
Air Quality: Stanley and Challis will not be impacted by smoke as they have been in previous weeks. The Trinity Ridge and Halstead Fires added less smoke to the region due to less active fire behaviors. The approaching thunderstorms will bring higher humidity and decrease active areas of the fire. Smoke dispersion from the expected high winds should result in a sustained green air quality rating through Monday.
The Plan for Today: Engines and crews will continue to mop up areas where fire has been held and rehabilitate areas that pose no potential for fire spread. Resource Advisors will make plans for the Incident Management Team to coordinate erosion control and necessary cleanup of dozer berms and hand lines around sensitive areas of trails, drainages, and creeks. Improvement of the hand line will continue near Cow Camp. Hand or aerial ignition may be used to safely and effectively make a control line that firefighters can hold over the next several days. Visibility will continue to be limited until the inversion lifts at approximately 1:00 in the afternoon.
Highway 75 Update: Traffic is flowing freely in both directions, but drivers are encouraged to slow their speeds as firefighters will be near the roadway during the day and into the evening. Fire may be visible from certain locations, and while many individuals may want to take pictures, the road way is narrow and has many curves with minimal turnouts available for parking.
Closures: Know before you go. A large area around the Halstead Fire is closed. For information on the closure area visit: www.fs.usda.gov/sawtooth and www.fs.usda.gov/scnf . For a high resolution map of the closure area go to the Flickr site www.flickr.com/salmonchallisnf.
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http://inciweb.org/incident/3062/ www.flickr.com/salmonchallisnf
