Boundary Fire Emergency area, road and trail closure expanded
SALMON, Idaho (KIFI) - The Salmon‐Challis National Forest has expanded the Boundary Fire Emergency Area, Road, and Trail Closure, Order Number: 04‐13‐21‐015.
Description of Closed Area, Roads, and Trails (#04-13-21-015):
Closed Area: All NFS lands in the Middle Fork District of the Salmon-Challis National Forest in the area bounded at the junction of the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Area (FCNOR Wilderness Area) boundary and National Forest System Road (NFSR) #550 Artillery Dome Road, then following the FCNOR Wilderness Area boundary south and east to the junction of National Forest System Trail (NFST) #4028 Mountain Meadows Trail and NFSR #583 Bear Valley Mountain Lookout Road, then following a straight line southeast to NFSR #568 Dagger Falls Road, then following east and north along the FCNOR Wilderness Area boundary to its junction with NFSR #172 Beaver-Loon Road, then following the FCNOR Wilderness Area boundary along both side of NFSR #172 Beaver Loon Road to its junction with NFST #4115 Rat Creek Trail, then following the FCNOR Wilderness Area boundary on the north side of Lost Packer Mine to its junction with NFST #4011 Blue Lake Trail, the following NFST #4011 Blue Lake Trail and NFST #4004 Little Loon Trail to its junction with the Middle Fork of the Salmon River, then following a direct line north to its junction with Mahoney Creek, then following a straight line west to its junction with Middle Fork of the Salmon River, then following south and west on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River to its junction with Elkhorn Creek, then following east on Elkhorn Creek to the point of origin at the junction of the FCNOR Wilderness Area boundary and NFSR#550 Artillery Dome Road.
Closed Roads and Trails: All NFS roads (NFSR) and trails (NFST) within the Closed Area
The purpose of this order is to protect public health and safety from the effects of the Boundary Fire.
“The Salmon-Challis National Forest continues coordination with various stakeholders and is taking into full consideration the impacts to hunting season and Middle Fork of the Salmon River trips,” said Heath Perrine, Challis-Yankee Fork/Middle Fork District Ranger, “Public and firefighter safety is the number one priority for the Boundary Fire.”
This order will remain in effect until rescinded.
The Boundary Fire has burned 43,204 acres and is 35% contained.
The fire is burning two miles west of Boundary Creek Boat Launch; Middle Fork Ranger District; Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness.
The Boundary Fire is burning in steep, inaccessible terrain in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. Firefighter and public safety are the number one priority for the Boundary Fire. On Wednesday, the fire was active with group torching, short-range spotting, and wind driven runs. The fire was backing out of Fall Creek, east of the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. The majority of the smoke was from this area of the fire. The fire was active in the area around the Boundary Creek administrative sites however, this activity was not in close proximity to the values. Mop-up and securing of the fire’s edge continues around Morgan Ranch, fire activity increased to the northeast of Morgan Ranch yesterday with no impacts to the values in that area. A helicopter dropped water west of the airstrip at Sulphur Creek Ranch, the fire continues to back to the south towards Sulphur Creek. On the northwest side of the fire, the fire has reached the 2017 Honeymoon Fire scar. On the east side of the fire, the fire is established in the lower 1/3 of Opal and Garnet Creeks. Fire activity moderated in the northeast part of the fire when the fire burned into the 2012 Halstead Fire scar.
On Thursday, firefighters will continue to evaluate the fire’s progression, will hold and improve point protection measures, and monitor growth towards the values in and near the fire area including the Sulphur Creek Ranch, Boundary Creek administrative site, Seafoam Guard Station and Lodge, parcels of private land and the mine associated with that land, Josephus Lake Campground, and Pinyon Peak Lookout, to name a few. Mop up and securing the fire’s edge continues at Morgan Ranch and at the Boundary Creek administrative facilities. A point protection strategy, which is defined as, a wildfire response strategy which protects specific assets or highly valued resources from the wildfire without directly halting the continued spread of the wildfire, is being used on the Boundary Fire. Values at risk are defined as property, structures, physical improvements, natural and cultural resources, community infrastructure, and economic, environmental, and social values such as the Middle Fork River corridor.
Smoke is drifting into the area from fires in California and Oregon. Smoke from the Boundary Fire will remain visible from the community of Stanley and the surrounding area if the drift smoke from other fires to the west disperses.
The forest is asking visitors to be aware of the VERY HIGH fire danger for the Salmon-Challis National Forest.
Nationally, there are 58 uncontained large fires being managed under a full suppression strategy and 45 large fires managed under a strategy other than full suppression.
