Rafters get green light but asked to be wary of fire
Aug. 4—Raft launching on the Main Salmon River from Corn Creek resumed Thursday morning, the U.S. Forest Service announced.
But rafters are being asked not to stop in the area of the Elkhorn fire that is estimated at near 24,000 acres and destroyed structures at Allison Ranch and Yellow Pine Ranch over the weekend. Rafting was abruptly suspended Sunday after a firestorm blew through the river canyon, scorching more than 20,000 acres.
The Payette National Forest urged rafters not to linger in the fire area because jet boats are operating in the vicinity to support firefighting efforts. Fire managers will continue to monitor and manage rafting groups before they approach the fire area, the Forest Service said. Fire danger to the rafting public and impact to firefighting efforts will continue to be assessed daily.
Anyone wishing additional information on rafting may contact the river desk at 208-756-5587 or 208-481-2625.
The road to Whitewater remains closed to public traffic and a fire area closure is in the works. Once implemented the Magruder Corridor will remain open to the north of the fire. A temporary emergency closure is in place on roads, trails and the area east of Mallard Creek drainage, as well as through the Bargamin Creek drainage, and north of Bat Point. Trail closures are in place on the Payette National Forest side of the river as well.
Great Basin Team 2 is shadowing the Type 3 incident management team today that will assume command of the fire this morning. An incident command post is being set up at the Red River Work Center.
A temporary flight restriction is in place. All aircraft not assigned to the fire are required to remain out of the restricted area, including those intending to land at private ranches.
The Little Bear Fire on the Powell Ranger District of the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest is mapped at 1,646 acres.
The fire is still burning downhill and cleaning up dead logs that have fallen since the Freezeout Fire of 2012. The Little Bear Fire was detected on July 3 in steep and rugged terrain with a high density of snags from the 2012 fire. Structure protection measures and fuel reductions have been taken around Bear Mountain Lookout, the upper Warm Springs pack-bridge, and the lower Warm Springs pack-bridge.
The Midnight Fire on the Elk City Wagon Road, a mile east of China Point and 3 miles northwest of Pilot Knob, is listed at 179 acres and 38% contained.
Firefighters are continuing to identify and work interior smokes and hotspots. Equipment work on the contingency line remains slow because of terrain and heavy vegetation. Crews and equipment are working to remove available fuel from the fire by clearing brush and vegetation.
Weather forecasts for the region include continued high temperatures in the low- to mid-80s and low 90s with an increasing chance of rain showers and thunderstorms beginning tonight through the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.
