Fire Season Begins North of Mackay Idaho About 40 Miles West of Salmon and is Known As the Papoose Fire - July 16 2013

Incident Overview

The Papoose fire gained approximately 900 acres from yesterday, Jul 15 2013. The fire continues to burn grass, brush and pockets of timber in steep, rugged and inaccessible terrain. The fire is burning primarily in the Middle Fork river corridor, burning across the slope and backing downhill toward the river. Visitors in the area are asked to use caution while traveling in the area. Hazards include rolling rocks, falling trees and dense smoke. Severe thunderstorms are predicted for the Salmon-Challis National Forest and the fire area Tuesday through Wednesday of this week. Visitors are advised to prepare for possible flooding and damage to unimproved roads. Heavy rain and winds can also topple trees and loosen debris that may block roadways. Firefighters from Montana’s Lewis and Clark Fire Module are boating down the Middle Fork of the Salmon River, reducing ground fuels to minimize fire’s impact should the fire reach campsites and heritage sites. Boaters on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River are required to check in with forest personnel at the Flying B Ranch to determine if there are changes in campsite reservations, based on fire activity or fire operations.

Basic Information

Incident Type	Wildfire
Cause	Lightning
Date of Origin	Monday July 08th, 2013 approx. 08:00 PM
Location	Salmon-Challis N.F.
Incident Commander	Tim Metzger

Current Situation

Total Personnel	45
Size	4,419 acres
Fuels Involved	grass, brush, timber
Fire Behavior	moderate

Outlook

Planned Actions	point protection
Growth Potential	high
Terrain Difficulty	extreme

Current Weather

Wind Conditions	5 mph SW
Temperature	89-93 degrees
Humidity	17-22%