Hayden Fire evacuations lifted
LEADORE, Idaho (KIFI) - The Lemhi County Sheriff's Office lifted evacuations for residents in the Hayden Fire vicinity on Monday. Suppression tactics aided by unseasonably wet weather have greatly moderated fire behavior and stalled fire growth.
Several local residents have been instrumental in firefighting efforts, allowing fireline to be constructed on their private property or serving as a staging area for operations. Fire managers are working closely with these landowners now to rehabilitate dozer lines and return the property to its original state. An Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) crew also helped an area rancher locate missing cattle with a drone that was remotely monitoring the progress of suppression line repair.
Incident Commander Steve Shaw said the community’s cooperation and support have played a key role in the incident management team’s progress in meeting objectives. Crews continue to “seek and destroy” pockets of heat near fire lines while other crews and equipment focus on suppression repair. Personnel are preparing for a warming trend starting Wednesday, with possible gusty winds.
The Hayden Fire has been mapped at 24,489 acres acres and is burning in steep and difficult terrain with spruce/subalpine fir containing a heavy dead/down timber component.
The fire started on July 19 and is located in the Lemhi Range, 18 miles west of Leadore, Idaho.
The fire is 83% contained, and the cause is undetermined.
Members of the Great Basin Incident Management Team 4, community leaders, and agency representatives will be on hand to provide an overview of fire suppression activities and answer questions Wednesday, August 9, 7:00 p.m. following the City Council Meeting at Leadore Community Center, 206 S Railroad Street. The event will also be streamed via Facebook Live on the Salmon-Challis National Forest page.
The Lemhi County website www.lemhicountyidaho.org is the primary source of information for pre-identified evacuation zones, Ready, Set, Go instructions, and current status.
For the safety of firefighters and the public, the Salmon-Challis National Forest has enacted an area closure around the Hayden Fire. A map and description of the closure area can be found HERE.
Stage 1 Fire Restrictions are in effect in areas managed by the Salmon-Challis National Forest, Idaho Department of Lands, and the Bureau of Land Management. For more information, please consult Salmon-Challis National Forest’s Alerts and Notices HERE.
