8/31/2015 Kaniksu Complex Fire Update

Kaniksu Complex—Tower Fire                       August 31, 2015, 9:00 a.m.

Idaho Panhandle and Colville National Forests and Washington DNR
Alaska Incident Mgt. Team — Tom Kurth, Incident Cmdr.           

For Immediate Release Pete Buist, 907-750-1639
towerfireinfo@gmail.com Jill Cobb, 208-443-6835 (msg)

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 25,444 acres, 22 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 (540 acres, 39% containment)
 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: 24,021 acres Containment: 17 %
Strategy: Full Suppression Situation: Lightning, started Aug. 11
Location: 17 mi. north of Newport, Wash. and 6 mi. west of Priest Lake, Idaho
Update: Up to 0.6 inches of rain fell across parts of the Kaniksu Complex on Sunday, bringing more moderate fire behavior with smoldering and minimal acreage gain. A welcome relief from last week’s hot, dry, and windy weather, the rain also brought slippery conditions for firefighters as well as minor damage to roads needed to access the fires. Poor visibility and cloud cover continued to hamper efforts to map current fire perimeters following Saturday’s wind event.

On the Tower Fire, Saturday’s winds caused minor spot fires and slop-overs at several locations on the southern, eastern, and western sides of the fire, but firelines generally held. Firefighters’ success in catching the spot fires and slop-overs, in addition to the reduced fire behavior from the rain, led fire managers to lower the Evacuation Alert Level for the Big Meadows/Squaw Valley area from Level 2 to Level 1. All evacuation areas are now at Level 1.

In coming days firefighters plan on utilizing the expected cooler temperatures and higher humidity to continue securing and extending firelines, working directly against the fire’s edge where terrain, fuels, and weather conditions permit.

Limited ground and aerial surveys have revealed that Saturday’s strong winds pushed the Onata Creek, Grease Creek, and Hall Mountain fires to the north. Firefighters made good progress in securing a small spot fire on the Onata Creek Fire. Today fire managers have assigned dozers with engine support to the Grease Creek Fire to begin improving access to the fire. The Hall Mountain Fire continues to burn on the high rocky ridges above Sullivan Lake, hampered by wet fuel conditions.

A detachment of the Washington National Guard 792nd Chemical Company out of Grandview, Wash., has been assigned to the Tower Fire to help with traffic control points along the west side of the fire.

 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.
 The Big Meadow/Squaw Valley area was reduced to a Level 1 Evacuation Alert Sunday afternoon, Aug. 30. 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 in place for the north Hwy 57 corridor that includes the Nordman area and the west side of Priest Lake.
 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.