7/10/2015 Horseshoe Fire Update AM

On Thursday afternoon, thunderstorms with lightning and erratic winds caused crews to pull-back from the Horseshoe firelines and take shelter until the storms passed.

Lightning ignited three new fires in the fire vicinity. The storms did not impact the Horseshoe Fire and crews continue to make excellent progress utilizing minimum impact suppression to confine the fire at 250-acres.  Hose lays are in place and crews continue to mop up a 60-foot buffer around the fire edge.

The largest of the three new lightning fires is the 100-acre Riley Fire which is burning in the Mount Adams Wilderness one mile north of the Horseshoe Fire. On Thursday evening, two loads of retardant were dropped on its northwest side to prevent potential spread towards recreation areas. The 7 Lakes Fire is a small fire burning in the Lewis River drainage, two miles south of Takhlakh Lake. The Canyon Fire is a small fire burning on the south side of Council Bluff, 1.5 miles northwest of Council Lake.

With the addition of the new fires, this incident management effort will be called the ‘Mt. Adams Complex’ Fire officials are looking forward to cooler temperatures and increased relative humidity that will help reduce active fire behavior. Crews will be watching out for forecasted afternoon west winds (20-25 mph gusts) that could increase fire activity.  

The Gifford Pinchot National Forest has closed the Divide Trail #112. The Killen Trail No. 113, south of Forest Road No. 2329, and High Camp remain open. Recreationists and area residents are cautioned to slow down and watch for fire traffic on Forest Road 23 and in the Trout Lake area.