Halstead Fire Update 9-21-2012
Incident: Halstead Wildfire
Released: 9/21/2012
Salmon-Challis National Forest
Halstead Fire Update
September 21, 2012 - 0900
Fire Information: 208-309-5186
Start Date: July 27, 2012 Cause: Lightning
Current Size: 175,710 acres Containment: 59%
Location: Approx.18 miles north of Stanley, Idaho
Jurisdiction: USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Region, Salmon-Challis National Forest
Resources on the fire: 108 personnel - 1 hand crew, 8 engines, and 2 helicopters
Smoky conditions throughout the fire area kept burning activity to a minimum. Noticeable fire behavior was smoldering, creeping and isolated single and group tree torching. Today will bring a wind shift with winds coming out of the south. Winds will be light, however the direction change should clear some of the smoke from the Sawtooth Valley.
What happened yesterday: The Type 1 helicopter continued to work all day in the Jordan Creek area dropping water to cool the fire edge, extinguishing hotspots, checking fire spread. China Creek drainage was monitored for any signs of growth. An engine crew was flown to the lightning caused fire called Blue Bunch on Blue Bunch Mtn., ultimately controlling that fire. A handcrew and an engine crew worked hard to nearly complete suppression work in the Marsh and Lola Creek Campground area. In Duffield Creek and around Mountain King Mine, which were the hot spots the day before, the fire was not noticeably moving. Suppression repair work was also nearing completion. The Nip & Tuck Rd. (Forest Rd. 033) opened for non-motorized traffic. All spur roads leading to the north of the main road are still closed.
The Plan for Today: The area of concentration will be Loon Creek Summit and Jordan Creek. The Type 1 helicopter will continue with water drops to check any advance of the fire in the headwaters of Jordan and China Creeks. A handcrew and engine will work to complete mop up and secure the Marsh Creek, Lola Creek Campground area. Four engines, spiked at Loon Creek Guard Station, are still monitoring fire activity along the Loon Creek drainage. Three excavators, a road grader, water tender and engine will continue with suppression repair work, as well as grading the dirt roads along the Hwy 21 corridor.
Fire Weather: Winds will be from the south, along with an increase in temperatures nearly 14 degrees above normal for this time of year. Air quality below 7500-foot elevation may remain stagnant until the inversion lifts about noon. The Stage I air quality advisory for Lemhi and Custer Counties remains in effect.
River Closure: The Salmon River is closed to floating from Buckhorn Bridge to the Sawtooth National Recreation Area eastern boundary from September 3-22 during salmon spawning. Bank fishing is open. The river will be open to all user groups as of September 23.
Closures: The Loon Creek Rd., Forest Rd. 172, remains closed from 9 am to 9 pm to allow for safe firefighting operations. The Closure starts above the Hecla Mine thru to the Loon Creek Guard Station. Along the Highway 75 Salmon River Corridor from Stanley to the Sawtooth NRA boundary, the following campgrounds are open and will be managed by the Sawtooth National Recreation Area through the end of hunting season: Casino, Mormon Bend, Upper O'Brien, Holman, and Whiskey Flat. For information and maps of 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. For more information follow us on Twitter @scnf fire info. http://inciweb.org/incident/3062/ www.flickr.com/salmonchallisnf
