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ROADS REOPEN, FIRE RESTRICTIONS LIFTED IN BURNED AREAS
| Sept 27, 2007
THE STAR NEWS
Roads into national forests east of Long Valley reopened this week, and restrictions on campfires were lifted as snow and rain doused the East Zone and Cascade fire complexes that had been burning since July.
The Cascade Complex Fire Camp on Warm Lake Road just east of Cascade was dismantled, and responsibility for what was left of the fires was turned over the Cascade Ranger District of the Boise National Forest.
Orders to fold up camp were a sharp contrast to conditions just two weeks ago, when fire managers said there was no end in sight for the fires. Dry conditions had allowed the two complexes to burn 600,000 acres combined on the Boise and Payette national forests.
That all changed with colder, wetter weather last week topped by a heavy storm over the weekend. A weather station at Johnson Creek near Yellow Pine recorded 1-1/2 inches of rain overnight Saturday, and four inches of snow fell at Landmark east of Warm Lake.
South Fork Road closed
All closures into the forests were lifted on Tuesday except for the South Fork Salmon River Road, which was closed on Wednesday after forest officials said the road was unsafe for public travel due to fire-damaged culverts under the road.
A private contractor will be replacing 150 culverts, most of which are between Poverty Flats and Warm Lake Road with a few between Reed Ranch and East Fork South Fork Salmon River Road.
The culverts were made of high density polyethylene that were ignited by the wildfires. They will be replaced with galvanized steel culverts.
The road is expected to be reopened in time to provide winter access to Yellow Pine and surrounding areas.
Even though roads into the forest are open, warnings were given to travelers to watch for falling snags, burned stump holes and unstable slopes.
Other advisories include:
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Stay away from trees that have been burned at the base. If the root system has been weakened, they can easily fall. Use caution when traveling and when locating camping spots in and around burned areas.
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During heavy rain, run-off may be sudden and hunters should be aware of flash flood potential in low-lying areas.
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Burned areas become slippery when wet.
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Roads and trails may be obstructed by fallen trees, rocks and other debris.
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Road culverts may have been damaged or burned.
Burn permits still needed On Friday, Stage 1 fire restrictions were removed from all public and private lands in the region due to improving conditions. The fire restrictions had been downgraded to Stage 1 from Stage 2 on Sept. 18.
However, burning permits are still required until Oct. 20 for small piles of slash and other waste, said Mark Woods, fire warden for the Southern Idaho Timber Protective Association.
Idaho Power Co. crews restored power to Yellow Pine customers last Thursday after the Cascade Complex fires burned through the line a third time since the fires began in early August.
On Sept. 12, the fire burned three structures, and on Sept. 15, four more structures were destroyed when a large tree fell into them.
Two line crews and a road crew worked all week to replace the structures and get the line back in service, a news release said.
All seven of the structures were two-pole H-frame structures on the line that comes from the substation in Warm Lake to serve customers in Yellow Pine. The structures are located near the Ice Hole Campground about five miles south of Yellow Pine.
