Mcguire Complex Daily Update 09.27.2012
Incident: Mcguire Complex Wildfire
Released: 9/27/2012
Office hours: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Information Officer: Brian Harris
Phone: 208-842-2725 (with answering machine)
E-mail: mailto:mcguirecomplex@gmail.comW Website: http://www.inciweb.org//incident/3219
Photos: www.photobucket.com/mcguirefire
Current Size: 41,952 acres (102 acre increase) Containment: 7% Structures Threatened: 685
Current Resources: 709 personnel, including 11 crews; 42 engines; 6 dozers; 11 water tenders; and 5 helicopters.
Yesterday's Activities: Helicopters had another clear day for flying and dropped more water on the fire, especially at the top of Rhett Creek, east of Dixie, in an effort to keep the fire from getting established in that drainage. Forty of yesterday's 102-acre growth were due to a burnout operation that crews conducted on the north side of the fire east of Orogrande. Yesterday's moderate fire behavior resulted in low rates of spread and consisted of single-tree torching and creeping and smoldering. The fire was most active on the east side and on the west side from Orogrande Summit to Fish Lake. The fire is still east of the Lake Creek drainage, and yesterday fire personnel assessed the potential for a crew to work in that area, which has previously been unstaffed.
Today's Activities: Crews will continue to mop up and hold yesterday's burnout on the north side of the fire east of Orogrande. On the east side, crews will go direct where they can, but the fire is the hottest and most active there and the terrain is challenging, so progress is slow. Crews will be looking at the possibility of conducting future burnout operations west of Jack Mountain on the west side of Forest Road 1190. On the west side of the fire, a fourteen-person crew will be working east of Concorde to keep the fire east of the Lake Creek drainage. The weather and fire behavior will be very similar to yesterday, but with slightly stronger winds, group torching is a possibility and fire spread could be up to a half mile in areas.
Evacuations: Residents of Concord, Orogrande, Dixie, Comstock, Mallard Creek Ranch, and Cook Ranch remain under a Stage 3 evacuation. Red River and Red River Hot Springs remain under a Stage 2 evacuation warning. Elk City remains under a Stage 1 evacuation alert.
Road Closures: Road 222 is closed to all access, including residents, from Trapper Creek Road south to the community of Dixie. Conditions permitting, a pilot car will escort residents from the Trapper Creek Road junction into Dixie at 8:00 a.m. each day; the pilot car will leave Dixie at 9:00 a.m. to escort residents to the Trapper Creek Road junction. Forest Road 1190 from Trapper Creek to Dixie Summit is closed to all access, including residents. Forest Road 1190 from Trapper Creek and Forest Road 421 from Red Mail Box to the Whitewater area are closed to all nonresidents. The Crooked River Road, at the junction with Highway 14, is closed to everyone except residents.
Area Closures and Fire Restrictions: The area closure around the fire has been extended south to include Comstock. From Whitewater it runs southwest along the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness boundary to Forest Trail 212, to Forest Trail 211, and ends at the Dixie Work Center on Forest Road 222. Stage 1 Fire Restrictions are in effect on the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests.
Incident: The McGuire Fire complex was started by a lightning event on August 27, 2012.
Location: One miles west of Dixie, Idaho, two miles south of Orogrande, and four miles southwest of Red River.
Agency Jurisdiction: USDA Forest Service, Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests
Cooperating Agencies: Idaho County Sheriff's Department
Incident Command Post: At the former Red River Ranger Station on Forest Road 222.
