Woodtick and Norton Fires see minimal growth 

SALMON, Idaho (KIFI) - The lightning-caused Woodtick Fire is at 5,737 acres, growing less than 100 acres during the last week. For the past few days, fire managers observed the fire backing slowly into the wet drainage bottom of Woodtick Creek. Remote heat areas remain in the Martindale Creek drainage.

The lightning-caused Norton Fire is moving slowly and is currently at 1,266 acres. As the fire’s edge progresses south, it is moving into previous fire scars, which will likely limit the spread in that direction. Firefighters continue to observe fire behavior daily. 

The Woodtick Fire started as two separate fires on July 14 in a rugged and remote area in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. The incident management team is using a combination of strategies on the fire. Firefighters made multiple attempts to directly engage with the fire. Due to the risk to firefighters in the remote, steep, and rugged terrain, fire managers decided to shift from a “direct attack” strategy to the “point protection” strategy. This focused operations on protecting highly valued resources such as structures, natural resources, cultural resources, and other property. Additionally, firefighters are employing the “confine and contain” strategy to safely connect natural barriers in the area (such as rocky outcrops and creeks) through actions including fireline construction, burn-out, and bucket drops. Since mid-July, the area has experienced multiple red flag warnings for gusty winds, high temperatures, low humidity, and thunderstorms.  

On July 30 and 31, firefighters took the opportunity of favorable weather to implement a firing operation using aerial and hand ignition to eliminate fuel in the path of the fire. This allowed firefighters to secure the fire’s edge near the communities of Camas Creek, Red Spar and Meyers Cover. After the backburn operation, crews patrolled, mopped up, and secured the fire’s edge in this area. Helicopters were used for bucket drops to cool hot spots. Equipment and supplies remain staged if needed for future point protection actions.   

The Norton Fire started on August 1 approximately seven miles northwest of Lower Loon Creek in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. The next day, the Norton Lookout and outbuildings were covered with structure wrap, which reflects radiant heat and diverts embers from settling directly on the building. Fire managers utilized air resources determine management action points and assess structures. 

Fire managers use cameras temporarily posted on the Sleeping Deer and Middle Fork Peak lookouts to observe fire activity in the inaccessible and rugged terrain of the Woodtick and Norton fires.  

While the fires remain active, the activity is in areas away from values or in locations where firefighters have plenty of time to implement point protection strategies. Most likely, the fires will extinguish sometime in the fall or early winter—when the days are shorter and the weather is cooler and wetter. Inciweb will be updated as significant activity occurs. 

Closures

Two closures remain in effect on the Woodtick Fire. To view the orders in their entirety and other information regarding the fires, refer to: https://bit.ly/WoodtickFireClosure