9/14/2015 Kaniksu Complex Update

The Kaniksu Complex, which includes the Tower Fire and six smaller fires, has a total acreage of 26,083 acres as of 6 p.m. Sept.13, 2015. The entire perimeter is not identified as requiring containment line. Of that identified for containment, 92 percent of the work is complete.

Residents and visitors are reminded that parts of the Colville and Idaho Panhandle National Forests are still closed to the public for the safety of all. Law enforcement officers are patrolling closed areas and violators may be cited. Please check with local ranger districts for more information.

A fresh fire team is taking command of the Kaniksu Complex today. The Alaska Interagency Incident Management Team has been working on these fires since August 17, 2015. Today, they will be returning to Alaska, leaving the Complex’s fires in pretty darned good shape. The Team feels they had a great assignment and met a lot of great people in both Washington and Idaho over the course of the last month.

More sunny warm weather Sunday provided a good test of the containment lines on the several fires within the Kaniksu Complex. Despite the conditions, the Tower Fire itself was quiet. Most of the day’s activity consisted of suppression repair work on the Tower Fire. Crews and engines worked the west side of the fire repairing. Hot spots were worked and controlled on the north side. In areas where containment was complete and there were no new hot areas, hoselays were removed. More rehabilitation and repair work occurred on the southwest quarter of Tower, along with patrols searching for possible hotspots close to the line. On the northwest sector, in Mill Creek, still more repair work was done.

The Grease Fire became a bit active on Sunday, but the burning caused no control issues and the line along the north held just fine. All hose was pulled from the Onata Fire. Dozer line repair work continued on the Baldy Fire.

Here is a roundup of fire activity:

•  Tower Fire: 24,182 acres, 89% containment. Located 6 miles northeast of Usk, Wash., and 6 miles west of Priest Lake, Idaho.

• Onata Creek Fire: 546 acres, 100% containment. Located 8 miles east/southeast of Ione, Wash. This fire is in patrol status, suppression repair will be initiated soon.

• Grease Creek Fire: 633 acres, 19% containment. Located east of Sullivan Lake.

• Hall Mountain Fire: 39 acres. Located on Hall Mountain. This fire is in patrol status.

• Slate Creek and South Fork Slate Creek Trail fires: 1 acre and 167 acres, respectively. Located near the northwest boundary of Salmo-Priest Wilderness.

• Baldy Fire: 515 acres, 100% containment. Located 6 miles north of Ione, Wash.