Porcupine Complex Daily Update 9/24/12
Incident: Porcupine Complex Wildfire
Released: 9/24/2012
Information Officer: Brian Harris
Info Phone @ (208) 842-2725
Office hours: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
G-mail account: mcguirecomplex@gmail.com
Incident: The Porcupine Complex was started by lightning on 8/9.
Location: The Porcupine Complex is 25 miles east of Elk City, ID.
Agency Jurisdiction: USDA Forest Service, Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests
Cooperating Agencies: Idaho County Sheriff's Department
Incident Command Post: (ICP) is located at the old Red River Ranger Station.
Current Size: 30,738 acres Containment: 0% Structures Threatened: 5
Yesterday: Widespread smoke kept fire activity low in the morning. In the afternoon, light northerly winds increased fire activity. Spot fires on the north side of the 285 Road were held, no new spots were reported. Travelers on Road 285 should expect delays. Due to smoky conditions; locating the fire on the south side of the Porcupine Fire was difficult. The Mustang Fire is now estimated to be 1/2 mile from the Porcupine Fire, in the area of Base Camp Campground. Fire behavior included frequent single tree torching with short range spotting in a few isolated areas. The fire advanced with only minor creeping and smoldering. Light precipitation fell on isolated portions of the fire.
Today: A low pressure system is moving slowly through the fire area bringing higher humidity, lower temperatures, and light northerly winds. Under the influence of these conditions, the fire activity potential will be low with very limited potential for spread. Protection efforts will continue for recreational sites and administrative facilities. Crews will patrol for and remove hazardous trees near roads and monitor fire activity.
Road Closures: The Magruder Corridor Road (Forest Road 468) is closed from its junction with the Green Mountain Road (Forest Road 285) to Observation Point for public safety due to fire activity. Through traffic to and from Montana to Idaho is closed!
Area Closures: Special Area Closures are in effect for the 581 and 575 trails. The spur road going up to Burnt Knob lookout has also been closed. On the Nez Perce National Forest, Forest Road 285 is open with possible delays; Forest Road 357 is open; Forest Road 468 is open from its junction with Forest Road 222 to its junction with Forest Road 285. The remainder of Forest Road 468 is closed; Forest Trail 501 is open from 14-Mile Trailhead to Bargamin Creek; the 14-Mile Trailhead and Granite Springs Campgrounds are open. On the Bitterroot National Forest, Forest Road 468 is open from the West Fork Guard Station to Observation point, but is closed from Observation Point for the remainder of the Magruder corridor.
For further information, including specific details regarding the Area Closure, visit the InciWeb website: http://inciweb.org/incident/3171/
