Moose Fire meeting set Thursday

SALMON, Idaho (KIFI) - The human caused Moose Fire burning west and south of North Fork has burned 130,112 acres and is 51% contained.

A community meeting will be held at the Idaho Fish & Game Office located at 99 US Highway 93, Salmon, ID 83467 on Thursday, Sept. 29. The start time will be 6:00 p.m. for those who wish to attend. The meeting will be filmed and posted to the Salmon-Challis National Forest Facebook page for those who prefer to view the meeting virtually. If you cannot attend the meeting in person but would like to submit a question, you can email your question(s) to 2022.moose@firenet.gov before noon on Sept. 29, 2022. 

Wednesday lookouts reported minimal fire behavior with smoldering, creeping and slow backing in the watershed area with no issues identified. In addition, the area, east of Leesburg, including along the 300 Road and Trapper Ridge has the same fire behavior with the same smoldering and creeping. Crews continue to perform suppression repair work in the Leesburg area. Resources have been assigned in this area and will begin working west of Leesburg. Heavy equipment is working along the powerline corridor between Ridge Road and Leesburg repairing the skidder road that was used to haul logs up to Ridge Road. Additionally, crews continue to identify areas that need suppression work around the fire. 

EVACUATIONS

Evacuation zones 1, 12, 13, and 15 remain in “READY” status. Beartrack Mine and Leesburg also remain in “READY” status. Evacuation status has been rescinded for Zones 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9a, 9b, 10, and 14. The Incident Management Team will continue to work closely with the Sheriff’s Office to consider changes to the evacuation status. Additional details are available at: Moose Fire Evacuation Zones 

CLOSURES AND RESTRICTIONS

A Salmon-Challis National Forest closure order was updated on September 19. It reduces the closure area lands north of Williams Creek and Deep Creek Roads, east of Panther Creek Road, and south of North Fork Ranger District/Salmon-Cobalt Ranger District. The closure includes national forest service lands pertaining to certain roads, trails, and a defined geographic area around the fire. See Moose Fire Emergency Area, Road, and Trail Closure, Order #04-13-22-512, for a complete description. This closure applies to hunting access, firewood cutting and gathering, fishing, hiking, camping, and other recreational activities.   

• Public Lands north of the town of Salmon, south of Wallace Creek, and west of the Salmon River administered by the Salmon Field Office, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are temporarily Closed.  
• Currently, Stage 1 Fire restrictions are in effect on the Salmon-Challis National Forest, BLM, and State of Idaho lands in Custer and Lemhi Counties, excluding wilderness areas. These restrictions will end immediately after midnight (00:01) on Thursday, September 29, 2022.  
• For more information about area hunting units, please visit the Idaho Fish and Game fire map: https://fishandgame.idaho.gov/ifwis/maps/realtime/fire/ or the Idaho Fish and Game Salmon Region Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/IDFG.salmon.