8/22/15 Kaniksu Complex (Tower Fire)

Fact Sheet

Tower Fire (Kaniksu Complex)
Idaho Panhandle & Colville National Forests, Washington DNR
AUGUST 22, 2015 10:30 am
For Immediate Release Pete Buist, Fire Information Officer
towerfireinfo@gmail.com 907-750-1639

Jill Cobb, Fire Information Officer
 208-443-6835 (msg)
 Office hours: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Incident: Kaniksu Complex consists of several wildfires including Tower and Baldy fires.
Jurisdiction: Newport & Sullivan Lake Ranger Districts (Colville National Forest); Priest Lake Ranger District (Idaho Panhandle National Forests); Arcadia District, Washington Dept of Natural Resources.

Incident Commander: Tom Kurth, Alaska Type 2 Incident Management Team
Public Meeting Scheduled for Priest Lake Elem. School, TONIGHT Aug. 22 th, 2015 at 7:00 p.m.

 The Level 2 Evacuation alert remains for Big Meadow/Squaw Valley. Simply stated, level 2
means to be ready to leave on very short notice.
 The Level 1 Evacuation alert remains for the BearPaw Area and the Hwy 57 Corridor from
Priest River North.
     The Level 1 Evacuation for Hwy 57 is being issued because fire fighters are
concerned about the fact that Hwy 57 is the ONLY logical escape route south from the Priest
Lake community. It is NOT because of imminent fire danger to the area. In Level 1, residents
should be ready and should monitor emergency services. Those with special needs, pets,
livestock or that need transportation assistance should take early precautionary movement to relocate.

Residents and recreationalists living in and/or visiting the area are encouraged to stay informed
of the changing conditions. Stage 2 Fire Restrictions are in place.

Current Size: 8,685 acres Containment: 2%
Strategy: Full Suppression Structures Threatened: 25 residences; 10 structures
Situation: Active wildland fire, lightning-caused on August 11th, fire reported on August 12, 2015, located 12 miles southwest of Priest Lake, Idaho and 17 miles north of Newport, WA.

Update: Gusty winds, associated with the cold front that came through the area on Friday, severely tested suppression lines. The fire was most active on the northeastern flank. Though the winds caused the fire to spot across the line in multiple locations, firefighters were able to hold the critical areas. Smoky conditions prevented much additional mapping, but it appears that the Tower fire increased in size only slightly Friday night to 8,685 acres and remains 2% contained. Suppression efforts will continue and include continued construction of a contingency dozer line east of the main fire. Today, firefighters on the east (Priest Lake) side at Tower reinforce existing suppression line and extend the dozer line between the fire and the more developed areas to the east. Structural protection teams continue to evaluate and plan actions that will be deployed if the fire were to reach the developed areas. The incident management team is receiving additional firefighters and equipment. There are now 262 personnel assigned. In the very near future, approximately 300 military personnel will join the incident to assist residents with “fire wise” work around homes. These focused forces will assist homeowners who wish to better prepare their homes for fire protection. Today’s weather is expected to be warm and dry. Because of the clear skies, the fire more exposed to the sun than it has been for a couple of days. Because of the sun reaching the fire, it is anticipated that fire activity will increase this afternoon. Later in the afternoon, smoke from both the Tower Fire and other nearby fires may obscure visibility.

Kaniksu Complex: The Tower Fire along with six other smaller fires located on the Colville National Forest are all part of the Kaniksu Complex. Total acreage of all fires in the Kaniksu Complex is 9,906 acres. Personnel are monitoring the smaller fires and the majority of firefighting resources are assigned to the Tower Fire. Report fires not listed below, please call 911.

Fires (other than the Tower Fire) which are included in the Kaniksu Complex include the following:
 Baldy Fire: Located 16 miles north of Ione, WA (515 acres)
 Onata Fire: Located about 8 eight miles east/southeast of Ione (600 plus acres)
 Hall Mountain Fire: located on Hall Mountain (10 acres)
 Grease Creek Fire: located south of Hall Mountain (45 acres)
 Slate Creek (1 acre) & South Fork Slate Creek (10 acres): located near the NW boundary of Salmo-Priest Wilderness

Current Resources: The number of firefighters on the incident is 262. Equipment includes: 8 crews, 8 dozers, 11 engines, and 4 water tenders, 1 skidgen, 1 helicopter. Any additional firefighting resources, including air support, are limited based availability and priority.

Closures: An area closure remains in effect for Browns Lake and South Skookum Campgrounds on the Newport Ranger District and for the North Skookum Campground (Washington DNR). As of 10 am on Wednesday, August 19, there are no evacuation orders for this fire. Officials have closed a portion of the Newport Ranger District of the Colville National Forest due to the current Tower Fire. The closure limits any type of access for a rectangle that bounded on the north by the Mill Creek Road (Forest Road 1200-000) from Le Clerc Road to Pyramid Pass, on the east by the Colville-
Idaho Panhandle National Forest Boundary, on the west by Pend Oreille River, and on the south by the section line one mile south of Township 34.

Officials have closed specific road segments on the Priest Lake Ranger District which include:
Road 310 (Gleason Mtn) at junction with 219 (Lamb Cr)
Road 333 (Goose Cr) and 333b (Blonc Cr) Closed at State line
Road 659 (Squaw Valley) at junction with 1075 (Klahowya rd)
Road 1096 at the junction with Road 1098 (Goose Cr Saddle)
Road 305 (Kings Road beyond private property)
Road 1142 (Butch Creek Rd)
Helpful Links IPNF Closures webpage. http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4508/#