Fire Managers Keep an Eye on Weather while Controlling Current Fires. Fire Restrictions Continue.

Release Date: Aug 5, 2018

Today, the focus of fire managers is continued suppression and positioning resources to be prepared to respond quickly as predicted hot, dry, windy weather increases potential for new fire starts. The public can help reduce the risk for wildfire by following current fire restrictions.

On the Salmon River Ranger District, the Rattlesnake Fire, located five miles southwest of Riggins, continues under management of the Almas Type 2 Incident Management Team. Yesterday, crews reported 42 % containment at 4,318 acres. A public meeting is scheduled today at the Little Salmon River Bible Church in Pinehurst at 2pm (MDT). Daily updates are available on Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5999.  Fire information phone: 208-495-6934.

Graves Peak Fire, located on the North Fork Ranger District, one half mile southwest of St. Joe Lake near the borders of the Idaho Panhandle and Lolo National Forests, was reported on July 30. A quick response by a team of smokejumpers, firefighters from the North Fork Ranger District, and the Musselshell Helitack stopped the fire at 35 acres. The fire currently shows very low activity. The smoke jumpers will move on to assist on other incidents today while local fire crews continue securing the perimeter and ‘mop-up’ hot spots on the fire. Fire managers plan to demobilize all crews off of the fire on Monday and place it into daily monitoring with air patrol flights. Crews staged at Osier Lookout will continue working on fuels mitigation in that area.

Land management officials urge the public to continue to observe Stage 1 Fire Restrictions in the Grangeville Fire Restrictions Area, Riverbreaks Zone 1 and Hells Canyon National Recreation Area and the Payette National Forest. A link to details and a map of the restriction area is available on the home page of the Nez Perce – Clearwater National Forest website:  www.fs.usda.gov/detail/nezperceclearwater .

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