Halstead Fire Update for 9-9-12
Incident: Halstead Wildfire
Released: 9/9/2012
Start Date: July 27, 2012 Cause: Lightning
Current Size: 150,976 acres Containment: 35%
Location: Approx. 3 miles north of Stanley, Idaho
Jurisdiction: USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Region, Salmon-Challis National Forest
Resources on the fire: 510 personnel - 7 hand crews, 26 engines, and 4 helicopters
What Happened Yesterday: Burnout operations continued along Highway 75 west of Sunbeam. Fire spread was minimal to the north and east. Fire personnel continued holding the area east of the Cow Camp structures. A basin, well interior, burned and put off a small column of smoke. Several lines to hold and check the fire were identified for future use. Isolated torching and increased surface fire was observed during the peak burning period of the day. Kelley Creek, Noho Creek, and Basin Creek all west of Yankee Creek have established fire. Structure protection remained in place for the areas along the Yankee Fork and Lost Packer Mine. The Bench fire reached 80% rehabilitation. A sprinkler system was set up to protect the Lola Creek Campground should fire cross Marsh Creek. A Type 1 Helicopter was released on loan to the Mustang Fire to assist in suppression efforts and was scheduled to be returned to the Halstead Fire by Sunday morning.
Air Quality: Winds will prevent the smoke from settling in the evening inversion. This will result in a "Good" to "Moderate" air quality through Tuesday. The lower amount of smoke produced by the Halstead Fire will produce minimal impact on the Challis area but the down-slope area of Stanley will still see residual smoke settle in the evening.
The Plan for Today: Backhaul of supplies and equipment will continue in addition to yesterday's continuing efforts. 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 Advisor plans for erosion control and necessary cleanup of dozer berms and hand lines around sensitive areas of trails, drainages, and creek will continue. Sprinkler systems will be activated at the Loon Creek Guard Station and Seafoam Guard Station. Rehab on the Bench fire will continue towards completion. The fire will be monitored along Marsh Creek. Fire fighters holding near the Cow Camp structures will implement full suppression efforts as needed. No aerial ignitions are planned for the next two days. Fire behavior is dependent on cloud cover and precipitation throughout the day. Single and group torching of trees and low to moderate fire spread are predicted. A "Red Flag Warning" has been issued for high winds from 2:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.
Highway 75 Update: No road closures are anticipated along the Highway over the next several days, but may be implemented if visibility is reduced due to smoke impact. If necessary, a pilot car will be used to escort traffic one way along a limited section.
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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