8/24/2015 Tower Fire (Kaniksu Complex) Update

Special Messages:

·  RED FLAG & FIRE WEATHER WARNINGS

·  There are no mandatory evacuation orders for these fires. If that happened, it would be called

Level 3, which means it is time to go.

·  The Level 2 Evacuation alert remains for Big Meadow/Squaw Valley.  Simply stated, level 2 means you are set 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 any changing conditions. Stage 2 Fire Restrictions are in place.

·  Priest Lake Area: Highway 57 is open to all traffic. All businesses along with Federal and State

Campgrounds at Priest Lake are open.

Tower Fire:

Current Size: 10,238 acres                            Containment: 5%

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: As the inversion lifted late Sunday morning, fire activity increased on the Tower and Onata Creek Fires. As the smoke lifted, these fires received increased sunlight and solar heating, leading to increased fire activity, including uphill runs. Yesterday’s growth was most significant in the vicinity of Brown’s Lake and numerous spot fires were extinguished on the south end of the Tower Fire. Crews continued working on hand lines, dozer line construction and structure protection. Recent structure preparation focused in the Big Meadow and Bearpaw areas where the eastern perimeter of the Tower Fire is currently 3 miles away. The fire edge is approximately 8 miles west of Hwy 57. The fire is expected to be increasingly active for the

next few days because of extremely dry, hot weather prevailing over the region. The fire has the potential to move significantly under these conditions. Citizens should recognize that depending on prevailing winds

and terrain, the fire could move in almost any direction.

Much of the structure preparation work on Sunday was undertaken by soldiers of Task Force 1st Round, of the 17th Field Artillery Brigade, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA. The soldiers are working shoulder to shoulder with agency firefighters. Homeowners expressed gratitude for the good solid hard work accomplished to date.

Kaniksu Complex: The Tower Fire along and six 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 11,159 acres. Firefighters are monitoring the smaller fires but the majority of firefighting resources are assigned to the Tower Fire. Please report any fires not listed below, by calling 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 (300 acres)

·       Hall Mountain Fire: located on Hall Mountain (20 acres)

·       Grease Creek Fire: located south of Hall Mountain (45 acres)

·       Slate Creek (1 acre) & South Fork Slate Creek (1 acre): located near the NW boundary of Salmo-Priest Wilderness

Current Resources: The number of firefighters on the incident is 588. Equipment includes: 16 crews, 8 dozers, 9 engines, and 7 water tenders, 1 skidgen and 1 helicopter. Any additional firefighting resources, including air support, are limited based upon availability and priority. Resources are extremely limited given the number of active fires throughout the west.

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). . Road closures are in place to protect the public and firefighters.

Officials have closed a portion of the Newport Ranger District of the Colville National Forest due to the Tower Fire. The closure limits any type of access in 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 305 (Bearpaw Road) at junction with Hwy 57

Road 2291 (Hammond Ranch Road) at junction with Hwy 57

Road 312 (Squaw Valley) at junction with Hwy 57

Road 639 (Binarch Creek) at junction with Hwy 57

Road 310 (Lamb Creek) at junction with Hwy 57

Road 1096 at the junction with Road 1098 (Goose Cr Saddle) Road 1142 (Butch Creek Rd)

Helpful Link:. http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4508/#