Halstead Fire Update 9-25
Incident: Halstead Wildfire
Released: 9/25/2012
Salmon-Challis National Forest
Halstead Fire Update
September 25, 2012 - 0900
Halsteadfire2012@gmail.com
Fire Information: 208-309-5186
Start Date: July 27, 2012 Cause: Lightning
Current Size: 179,305 acres Containment: 62%
Location: Approx.18 miles north of Stanley, Idaho
Jurisdiction: USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Region, Salmon-Challis National Forest
Resources on the fire: 67 personnel - 1 hand crew, 5 engines, and 3 helicopters
After making a short uphill run, the fire continued backing down the ridge separating Bear Valley Creek from Marsh Creek, actually creating its own firebreak. Loon Creek Summit and Jordan Creek headwaters were considerably more active, putting up a fair smoke column. Other than these two areas, the remainder of the fire had minimal activity due to favorable weather conditions.
What happened yesterday: Engine crews continued with the work of patrolling miles of fireline, mopping up problem areas along the line and monitoring any fire movement. There was active fire to the east of the Mountain King Mine, north of Seafoam, which was being closely monitored by firefighters. The area below the mine, hit hard by the Type 1 helicopter with bucket drops on Sunday, was showing little activity. The Lola Creek area showed no activity. The handcrew completed suppression repair work in Rankin Creek. Little if any precipitation fell on the fire area Monday, not enough to have an overall beneficial effect on the entire fire.
The Plan for Today: Loon Creek Summit/Jordan Creek fire activity is being monitored for additional activity which might necessitate action by firefighters. If needed, suppression equipment is still in place in the area. Seafoam area will have an engine monitoring any activity along the road and in locations where the fire was recently active. They will also complete a road check from Vanity Summit to the Cape Horn Rd. Fire growth and activity in the Bear Valley Creek and Marsh Creek confluence is being monitored by air. Firefighters will check any fire activity which warrants action. The handcrew will be in the Bonanza area working on a variety of suppression repair projects which includes repair of mechanical (dozer) and hand lines, removing wrap and staples from structures. An Area Closure around the fire area is in effect for public safety and to ensure unimpeded access for firefighters.
Fire Weather: Temperatures will remain about the same for Tuesday, highs in the upper 50's with relative humidities around 55%. Winds will be light from the north. A warming trend will develop mid-week, strengthening towards the weekend. Recorded precipitation amounts for the fire on Monday was .03 inches.
Closures: Bear Valley Creek Trail 012 is closed on the north side of the Fir Creek Campground bridge, closing access to the Bear Valley Creek hot springs and the location known as Big Hole. Access to Blue Bunch Mtn. via trail is still open. The Loon Creek Rd., Forest Rd. 172, remains closed from 9 am to 9 pm from the Hecla Mine through to the Loon Creek Guard Station to allow for safe firefighting operations. The Nip & Tuck Rd. (Forest Rd. 033) is open for non-motorized traffic only. All spur roads leading to the north of the main road are still closed.
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
