McCall Idaho Headline News

Rain and cooler weather at the beginning of the week allowed firefighters on the Payette and Boise national forests to gain some ground on wildfires, but fire managers said the blazes will regain their intensity by, the weekend.

The forecast through the weekend calls for a warming, drying trend with gusty winds on Saturday that are likely to stir up the fire lines and throw out embers that can start spot fires, fire managers said.

The backcountry hamlet of Yellow Pine was still under siege this week, as fires from three directions threatened to enter the town.

Area closures Boise and Payette National Forests August 21, 2007 Click here to see a larger version of the map

The 47,270 acre Riordan Fire was the closest to Yellow Pine on the south side, but flames also were advancing from the 163,941 acre Monumental Fire to the southwest and the 138,276 acre Zena Loon fire from the northwest.

The last evacuation convoy from Yellow Pine left on Saturday, leaving an estimated 17 people remaining, a news release said. No more convoys from Yellow Pine were planned.

Abut 30 poles of a line carrying electrical power between Warm Lake and Yellow Pine had been burned by the fires in the Cascade Complex, Idaho Power Co. spokesman Lynette Berriochoa said.

Crews hoped to begin repairing the damage next week, depending on the path of the fires, Berriochoa said.
Meanwhile, a generator that has been providing electricity to Yellow Pine residents for the past week will remain in service, she said.

The situation looked brighter at Warren, where the Zena Loon, fire destroyed two outlying cabins on Aug. 12.

Warren is no longer in danger, said Joe Ferguson, who commands the firefighting effort for the Zena Loon and Raines fires, which together are known as the East Zone Complex.

"Warren is probably past the critical stage," Ferguson said. "We've been taking advantage of the weather to mop up at the edge of the town. I am feeling real good about it

Idaho and Montana Fires, August 2007 Click here to see a larger version of the map at Nasa.gov

The fire danger at Secesh Meadows has also improved, but a half dozen homes at the north end of the meadows are still at risk, Ferguson said.

Firefighters may light a back burn to clear the area around those homes of fuels, he said.

"The rest of it looks real good," Ferguson said, adding that some small fires were being allowed to safely burn grass, shrubs and small trees to clear out the area.

Firefighters began working in the Burgdorf area this week to protect buildings and the historic hot springs there in case the flames move in that direction, Ferguson said.

Conditions worsened last Thursday
The situation was more frightening late last week, when dry, windy conditions fanned the flames around Secesh Meadows.

A column of fire from the west leaned over the meadow last Thursday and ignited at least six spot fires, homeowner Becky Johnstone said.

There was a call for air support as the ground crews were losing the battle, and helicopters dropping water and retardant fought back the flames. The fires burned from the Secesh Stage Stop north towards Cemetery Hill, Johnstone said.

On Friday, fires from the east side pulled fires from the west towards the subdivision in the middle, with the Cemetery Hill area seeing the most burning, she said. The pattern repeated itself on Saturday.

"Most of the area north of the cemetery and south of Grouse Creek had flames all around them on the east side of the road," she said. "Willows were burning in the wet areas. All of the cabins had sprinklers running. Fortunately, the rains started and the flames went down."

Some of the area major fires began to merge last week, and management of the firefighting efforts also were combined.

The 63,270 acre Raines Fire merged with the Zena Loon fire northwest of Warren, and the Monumental and North Fork fires began to burn together west of Warm Lake.

Management of the Cascade Complex and the Landmark Complex near Warm Lake has been combined, and the fire area is now called the Cascade Complex.

A meeting for private pilots about where they can fly over the fires has been set for 6 p.m. Monday at the McCall Smokejumper Base.

For questions on the airspace briefing, call Patrick O'Leary at (503) 803-3756 or 634-0922.
Stage 2 fire restrictions remained in effect for the region despite the spate of wet, cool weather.

Also, Lick Creek Road, Warren Wagon Road and Warm Lake Road into areas affected by the fires remained closed this week.