Rabbit Foot fire closes roads and trails, expected to merge with two other fires

Fire crews from the Great Basin Incident Management team are battling fires that is currently more than 2,500 acres.

They are known as the Rabbit Foot, Weasel and Morgan Fires.

All three are expected to merge.

The Rabbit Foot fire was started by lightning on Thursday afternoon around 12:30 p.m. the fire started near the vicinity of the Rabbit Foot Mine which is north of Morgan Creek Summit and West of Panther Creek Road.

Fire crews are aggressively fighting the perimeter of the fire.

That will include re-establishing fuel breaks as well as constructing new control lines at the fire’s edge.

Cooler temperatures with a possibility of rain are predicted for the area, but it may result in thunderstorms producing strong winds generating extreme fire behavior with aggressive spotting potential in large spots of dead standing trees.

There are Temporary Flight Restrictions in effect. The TFR applies to an elevation of 13,000 feet and seven nautical miles in each direction. This is for non-incident aircraft drones. If a non-incident drone is in the air, fire crews cannot fly.

There are area, road and trail closures due to the fire.

They are within the Salmon-Cobalt and Challis-Yankee Fork Ranger Districts, Salmon-Challis National Forest.

The order will stay in effect until October 1st, 2018.

Any violation of this prohibition is punishable by a fine of $5,000 for an individual or $10,000 for an organization or imprisonment for no more than 6 months.

Anyone with a permit specifically exempting them from the effect of this Order or any Federal, State, or local officers or members of an organized rescue or fire fighting force in the performance of an official duty are exempt from these orders.

Below is a picture of the area that is prohibited.

Beginning ½ mile south of Morgan Summit on Morgan Creek Road FS-055; traveling northwest to intersection of Alder Creek Road FS-341; traveling west on Road FS-34 1; traveling northwest to Black Mountain ; traveling north-northwest to intersection Silver Road FS-108 and Road FS-383; traveling northeast to intersection of Panther Creek Road FS-055; traveling northeast to Moyer Cree k Road FS-10 3; traveling northeast to Moyer Peak; traveling east to Squawboard Meadow; traveling south-southeast along the powerline; traveling southeast to West Fork Iron Creek Road FS-046 ; traveling southeast to intersection of Road FS-047; traveling south on the Road FS-047 to the intersection of Road FS-083; traveling south on the Road FS-083; traveling southwest back to the Morgan Creek Road FS-055.

All roads and trails within the described area and those ma king up the boundaries are closed due to the Rabbit Foot fire.