“Take Your Essentials Belongings and Pets and GO NOW”

Raging wildfire threatens Idaho resort towns; thousands of homes evacuated

The Beaver Creek Fire, which was ignited by lightning on August 7, has exploded to more than 92,000 acres (373km²) and is burning northwest of Hailey in the Sawtooth National Forest, threatening the towns of Ketchum, Sun Valley and Hailey, officials said.

Resources threatened by the massive blaze include homes, power transmission lines, Highway 75, ski areas and scenic recreational trails and camp grounds.

[NOTE: The town of Ketchum is adjacent to Sun Valley with a combined population of about 4,500. Hailey has a population of about 8,500.]

CURRENT MANDATORY EVACUATION AREAS:

Take your essentials belongings and pets and GO NOW: Galena Summit south to North Fork (SNRA Headquarters) on both sides of Hwy 75 including Easley. (Does not include Galena Lodge) Glassford Heights North to SNRA on both sides of Hwy 75 including Fox Creek, Eagle Creek, Chocolate Gulch and North Fork Trailer Park Hospital bridge south up to and including all East Fork on both sides of Highway including Broadway Run Greenhorn Gulch, Golden Eagle, and Timber Gulch south down to Treasure Lane west of Hwy 75 All Indian Creek, Ohio Gulch, and Heatherlands (includes Valley Club) All Deer Creek from the Hwy 75 west Treasure Lane south to including Aspen Lakes west of Hwy 75 (does not include Northridge) Croy Creek Canyon from Big Wood Bridge west If you are physically unable to evacuate call 911All Services to these evacuated areas will be discontinued.

You will not be allowed to re-enter the area until the danger has passed. You will be notified by Alert and this website when it is safe to return. Check back here for updates. All public lands from Galena Summit south the the SNRA Headquarters are closed on both sides of Hwy 75. Additionally public lands north of Hwy 20 to Galena Summit are closed west of Hwy 75. CURRENT PRE-EVACUATION AREAS Lake Creek south to hospital bridge on both sides of Hwy 75 . This includes Warm Springs and the Cities of Ketchum and Sun Valley Residents of Hailey west of River Street including Queen of the Hills Drive, Sherwood Forest and Della View Subdivision (Does not include Albertson’s) Begin preparations now so that you can leave immediately should conditions deteriorate. Maintain situational awareness. If you are in danger,

DO NOT WAIT for a Evacuation Order. LEAVE IMMEDIATELY Residents in Pre-Evacuation zones with no means of transportation or who are physically unable to evacuate on their own, should ask a neighbor or call (208)578-3367 Please be aware that officers may be unable to go door to door for these pre-evacuation notifications as our resources are tied up with mandatory evacuations in other areas at this time. Services to your area may be discontinued during this Pre-Evacuation time. HIGHWAY 75 is open at this time. Please check back here for the latest evacuation and road closure updates as the situation is changing fast.

Beaver Creek Fire

Deer Creek/Greenhorn Area on Friday, Aug 16, 2013. The fire making a run to the river between Deer Creek and Greenhorn on Friday. Credit: Sawtooth National Forest/ USFS

• Cause: Lightning
• Size: 92,754 acres
• Percent Contained: 9%
• Location northwest of Hailey Idaho
• Date of Origin: Wednesday August 07th, 2013 approx. 12:00 AM
• Total Personnel 1,066

• Growth Potential: Extreme
• Terrain Difficulty: Extreme
• Current Weather
• Wind Conditions: 7-15 g 30 mph SW
• Temperature: 90 degrees
• Humidity: 8%

• Fire Behavior: Fire was active on all Branches through the night. Fire under inversion until 12:30 p.m., then extreme fire behavior with active surface runs and long range crown fire through drought-stressed fuels. All fuels receptive to spotting.

• Significant Events: Evacuation of Croy and westside of Hailey during the early morning hours. Highway 75 from Hailey to Ketchum Hospital. Evacuation notice north from Glassford Heights subdivision north to the SNRA headquarters on both sides of Highway 75.
• Remarks: Block 22 – Yesterday’s two injuries did not accumulate to Block 22. Today’s total of three is correct. Transition of Beaver Creek incidents Branch 1 to Zone 1 Beaver Creek under command of Great Basin Team 4 (Kidd) will occur 8/17 at 0600. One ICS 209 will be produced for the incident by Great Basin Team 1. Block 25: No additional structures destroyed known at time of report. Strong suspicion structures were damaged night of 8/16 morning 8/17. Loss of power poles in Croy area. IDL/Idaho Fire Chiefs structure engine pool exhausted. Two public meetings with local citizens with significant media interest. Resources contributed from other incidents much appreciated. Multiple insurance companies with structure protection clauses providing engines to their clients in coordination with Team. Acres: FS 80,359; BLM 4,398; State 1,030; Private 5,645.

Related Links

• Thousands Flee as Wildfire Threatens Idaho Ski Resort Towns August 17, 2013
• Two Idaho Towns Evacuated Due To Massive Wildfire  August 14, 2013
• Disaster Declared in Elmore County, Idaho  August 13, 2013
• Idaho Wildfire Threatens Entire County August 12, 2013
• Idaho Town Evacuated as Wildfires Rage  August 10, 2013
• Drought Disaster Declared in 37 Counties Across 5 States August 15, 2013
• Utah Wildfire Destroys Dozens of Homes, Structures August 14, 2013

Massive Wildfire Forces Hundreds Flee Homes in Idaho

Wildfire threatens about 500 residences near towns of North Fork and Gibbonsville, ID

The Mustang Complex resulted from five fires—the Mustang, Broomtail, Roan, Cayuse and East Butte fires—ignited by thunderstorms and lightning over the weekend of July 28-29.

• As of September 9th (20:00MDT), the Mustang Complex had grown to 261,010 acres, Inciweb reported.
• The massive blaze currently threatens homes, businesses, and natural resources.
• The blaze is currently 16 percent contained.
• Several destructive fires are burning mostly unchecked across the U.S. West.
• The 2012 fire season has already seen record-breaking fires in Colorado, New Mexico and Oregon.

Mustang Complex Notification and Evacuation Plan. Inciweb.

• Red Flag Warnings are currently in effect in parts of at least 13 states.

U.S. Weather Hazards Map. Source: NWS

Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events

• British Columbia, Canada.  BC authorities issued mandatory evacuation orders for more than 2,000 people in and around the Okanagan community of Peachland, after an intense wildfire consumed more than 100 hectares nearby, reports said.
  • Another 832 of Peachland’s 5,000 residents are on evacuation alert until further notice.

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

GLOBAL WARNING

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!

U.S. Wildfires Burning 2M Acres Across 11 States

Disaster Calendar – 17 August 2012

SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,307 Days Left

[August 17, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,307 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History…

Symbolic countdown began to the ‘worst day’ in human history on May 15, 2011...

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About 2 million acres on fire across Western U.S.

Dozens of wildfires are burning out of control across 11 drought-stricken western states, consuming scores of homes and threatening hundred of other structures, and forcing thousands to evacuate entire towns.

• Dozens of wildfires are currently raging across Western U.S. consuming about 2 million acres in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Texas, Washington and Wyoming.

• In Idaho, the massive Trinity Ridge Fire has consumed more than 100 square miles since early August, forcing thousands to evacuate the mountain resort towns of Pine and Featherville, about 100 miles NE of Boise.
  • About a dozen large wildfires are burning in Idaho.

• In Washington, at least 1,000 evacuation orders were issued in rural areas east of Cle Elum, about 75 miles east of Seattle, as hundreds of residents voluntarily fled their homes.
  • The fire, which started Monday, quickly spread, destroying about 400 homes, barns and other structures, and threatening many more building.

• “In California, a dozen major blazes up and down the state were keeping more than 9,000 firefighters busy, with the greatest immediate danger facing the rural community of Ranchita, about 50 miles northeast of San Diego,” said a report.
  • About 500 residents have been ordered to leave Ranchita and Santa Fe, authorities said.

• California. Rush Fire. The fire is located approximately 15 miles southeast of Ravendale, California. “The fire is burning near a major natural gas line and transfer station, and power transmission lines that supply the Reno area.”
  • The fire started Sunday August 12th, 2012, and has already consumed more than 160,000 acres, with growth potential reported to be ‘extreme.’
  • Voluntary evacuations in several areas are currently in effect.
• In northern California, a large blaze has consumed about 50,000  acres near the town of Belden in the Plumas National Forest, threatening about 1,000 homes, and prompting evacuations.

• Holloway Fire, a Mega Wildfire burning along the Nevada-Oregon state line, grew to about 700 square miles, forcing many evacuations. The fire was reportedly 86 percent contained, as of posting.

• As of August 16, about 43,000 wildfires had been reported in the U.S. this season, consuming a total of 6.4 million acres (~10,000 square miles). The 10-year average for the period is 52,005 fires, and 5 million acres, said the National Interagency Fire Center. [See previous blog comments about quality of the NIFC reporting.]

• See also Wildfires Destroy Homes, Large Areas Across the West Posted August 14, 2012

Related Links

• U.S. Disaster Impact Leaps 24 Folds Posted August 1, 2012
• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!

Drought – Recent Links

• U.S. Disaster Areas Expand as Drought Deepens Posted August 1, 2012
• Extreme and Exceptional Drought Spread Across Midwest, South Posted August 2, 2012
• Wildfires Destroy Oklahoma Town Posted August 5, 2012

• Watching Events Unfold, Frame by Frame, Exactly as Forecast Posted July 20, 2012
• Deadly Heat Continues to Devour U.S. Crops Posted July 19, 2012

• Drought Continues to Plague Two-Thirds of Continental U.S. Posted July 17, 2012
• Largest Ever U.S. Disaster Continues Unfolding July 14, 2012
• Drought 2012 Posted on January 8, 2012
• Drought and deluge 

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar