8/30/2015 Kaniksu Complex Fire Update

Kaniksu Complex: The Tower Fire, along with six smaller fires, is all part of the Kaniksu Complex. The total acreage of all fires in the complex is 21,308 acres, 24 percent contained. Firefighters are patrolling the smaller fires but the majority of firefighting resources are assigned to the Tower Fire.

·    Baldy Fire: located 16 miles north of Ione, Wash. (515 acres)

·    Onata Fire: located about 8 eight miles east/southeast of Ione (497 acres)

·    Hall Mountain Fire: located on Hall Mountain (46 acres)

·    Grease Creek Fire: located south of Hall Mountain (196 acres)

·    Slate Creek (1 acre) and South Fork Slate Creek Trail (125 acre): located near the northwest boundary of Salmo-Priest Wilderness

Current Resources: The number of firefighters is 789. Equipment includes: 18 crews, 12 dozers, 21 engines, 11 water tenders, 1 Air Attack, 1 skidgen, 2 helicopters and 3 Blackhawks for medical transport.

Tower Fire:

Size: 19,928 acres                                           Containment: 9%

Strategy: Full Suppression                             Situation: Lightning, started Aug. 11

Location: 17 mi. north of Newport, Wash. and 6 mi. west of Priest Lake, Idaho

Update: Saturday’s cold front and associated severe winds caused fewer control issues than anticipated for the Tower Fire and other fires in the Kaniksu Complex. At midday, smoke and dust obscured the fire. In several areas, particularly at Squaw Valley, fire managers could not know precisely how far the fire had advanced or how fast it was moving. Acting with an abundance of caution, the incident management team, in conjunction with both Bonner County, Idaho, and Pend Oreille County, Wash., raised the evacuation level for the Big Meadow/Squaw Valley area to Level 3. Residents there were ordered to leave. The evacuation alert level for the north Hwy 57 corridor from Dickensheet Road north to the Nordman area,

including the west side of Priest Lake, was raised from Level 1 to Level 2. Firefighters moved to safer areas for the duration of the wind event, returning later to the line.

After several hours, winds and fire behavior dropped off and visibility improved. At a community meeting Saturday evening in Priest Lake, Bonner County Sheriff  Daryl Wheeler announced to a relieved crowd  that evacuation levels were being reduced to what they had been the earlier in the day. At the conclusion of the meeting, residents were able to return to their homes in the Big Meadow/Squaw Valley area.

·  The Priest Lake, Idaho, area and Highway 57 are open to all traffic. All businesses along with federal and state campgrounds at Priest Lake are open.

·  There are no mandatory evacuation orders for these fires. If an evacuation order were issued, it would be called a Level 3 Evacuation, which means it is time to go.

·  A Level 2 Evacuation Alert remains for Big Meadow/Squaw Valley. Level 2 means you are set to leave on very short notice.

·  A Level 1 Evacuation Alert remains in place for the north Hwy 57 corridor that includes the Nordman area and the west side of Priest Lake. In Level 1, residents should be ready to leave and should monitor emergency services. Those with special needs, pets, livestock or that need transportation assistance should take early precautionary movement to relocate.

·  A Level 1 Evacuation Alert remains for the Bear Paw area and the south Hwy 57 corridor from Priest River north to Dickensheet Road. This alert includes the west side of Priest Lake. The Level 1 Evacuation for Hwy 57 has been issued because fire managers are aware that Hwy 57 is the main route south from the Priest Lake community. It is not because of imminent fire danger to the area.

·  A Level 1 Evacuation Alert is still in effect for two central Pend Oreille County, Wash, areas: the Best Chance residential area and a corridor on the east side of the Pend Oreille River, starting at the intersection of Le Clerc Creek Road and North Le Clerc Road south to a half mile south of the Usk bridge.