Cool, wet weather expected over Elevenmile fire
Elevenmile fire managers have removed firefighters from high elevation spike camps. Forecasts for rain and snow prompted the action. The fire started by lightning August 24 about 17 miles west of Challis.
Incident Commander trainee Tiaga Rohrer said, “there is so much dead and down (timber) in some places, firefighters can’t even see the forest floor.”
Some crews will scout for spot fires in the Mill Creek area to make sure the fire is kept west of the Yankee Fork drainage.
A total of six hand crews were being assigned to work on the west flank of the fire. Professional tree-cutters were working to clear debris from the Custer Motorway.
Fire managers will take advantage of forecast cool, wet weather to contain as much of the fire as possible. But, they warn that fires burning in thick timber can persist through several days of precipitation, only to rekindle when conditions dry out again.
As of Friday, the fire was estimated at 10,387 acres and had been 20 percent contained. 628 personnel are fighting the fire with help from 7 helicopters and 26 engines.
