Two Idaho Towns Evacuated Due To Massive Wildfire

Pine, Featherville evacuated as Elk Complex Fire continues to spread

The Elk Complex threatens the mountain town of Pine and the neighboring hamlet of Featherville, about 70 miles east of Boise, Idaho.

Evacuation orders have been issued for the Featherville and Pine areas due to increased fire activity, said the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office.

The fire has destroyed an estimated 20 homes, and many structures.

The Elk Complex Fire. Running crown fire into Pine. Credit: Boise National Forest/ U.S. Forest Service.

The Elk Fire resulted from several lightning fires which burned together on the night of August 8th. Fuels continue to be extremely dry and when combining with steep terrain, is creating plume dominated fire behavior. Areas concern are the small settlement of Prairie on the west side of the fire and the Pine/Featherville corridor on the east side. The southern perimeter follows the South Fork of the Boise River from Smith Creek to the end of Anderson Ranch Reservoir near Pine. The fire continues to move up the river corridor on the west side from Pine towards Featherville. Primary objective is to secure the fireline between all homes/subdivisions and the mountains to the west. Securing Prairie homes and ranches is a high priority. Ultimately the plan is to push the northern portion of the fire into the Trinity fire from last year.

The Elk Complex Fire. Lead plane marks the spot. Credit: Boise National Forest/ U.S. Forest Service.

The Boise National Forest has expanded a large area closure that is described specifically in the CLOSURES portion of this site. A map of the closure area can be found under MAPS. The Elmore County Sheriff’s Office has a mandatory evacuation in effect from Hwy 20 to the Johnson Creek Bridge south of Featherville. [Inciweb]

The Elk Complex Fire. Blaze starting to crest over ridge. Credit: Boise National Forest/ U.S. Forest Service.  

Fire  Information
Cause: Lightning
Date of Origin: Thursday August 08th, 2013 approx. 09:00 PM
Location: 10 miles southwest of Pine

Total Personnel: 631
Size: 98,413 acres
Percent Contained: 10%
Estimated Containment Date :Tuesday October 01st, 2013 approx. 12:00 AM

Pony Complex Fire PM Update August 13, 2013

The Pony Complex fire, about  12 miles Northeast of Mountain Home, ID, has consumed at least 143,900 acres with about 30 percent containment.

The Pony Complex Fire. Credit: Boise District/ Bureau of Land Management.

Fire Situation:

There was no reported change in acreage today due to smoke and thunderstorms in the area making aerial mapping unattainable. Fire behavior today remained active, running through grass and sage while backing across timbered areas. Some single tree torching and short range spotting was observed.  The fire is slowly progressing north, towards Blacks Creek. [Inciweb]

Wildfire Cause: Lightning
Date of Origin: Thursday August 08th, 2013 approx. 09:00 PM
Location: 12 miles northeast of Mountain Home, Idaho
Total Personnel:  342
Size:  143,900 acres
Percent Contained:  40%
Fuels Involved: Grass, sage with intermixed timber.
Fire Behavior:  Fire behavior remained active, running through grass and sage and backing through timber. Single tree torching and short range spotting was observed.
Growth Potential: High
Terrain Difficulty: High
Wind Conditions: 17 mph W
Temperature: 93 degrees
Humidity 8%

Related Links

• 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

Idaho Wildfire Threatens Entire County

Elk Complex Fire consumes more than 80,000 acres, forces evacuations of 3 towns

The fast-growing Elk Complex, said to be nation’s No.1, has consumed more than 80,365 acres since late Thursday and is only 5% contained.

The massive fire complex has forced large-scale evacuations and threatens structure across Elmore County.

Two small towns of Pine and Prairie have been evacuated.

The Elk Complex fire.  Viewed from I-84, photo taken Saturday afternoon. Credit: Boise National Forest/U.S. Forest Service.

The Elk Complex is now estimated at 80,365 [acres] and 5% contained. After the inversion broke, sustained crown runs were observed. Plume dominated fire activity has made parts of the fire inaccessible. Many access roads into the fire area are impassible due to downed power lines, debris and fallen timber. The Elmore County Sheriff’s Office has implemented evacuations in the Pine area. Road closures include the Pine/Featherville Road, Cow Creek Road and Blacks Creek Road. The lodge in Fall Creek and approximately 20 structures were not damaged by the fire, but it is believed there is significant structure loss further up the drainage. Fire officials will gain access to assess the situation as soon as it is safe for them to enter the area. [More…]

The Pony Fire Complex

Meantime, the Pony Fire Complex continued to grow, consuming about 120,000 across and forcing the evacuations of hundreds of homes in Prairie and Mayfield, including the communities Baseline, Indian Creek and Regina.

The 119,543 acre Pony Complex is now 20 percent contained. Two cabins and an outbuilding in Syrup Creek were destroyed this morning as a result of the extreme fire behavior. Evacuations were ordered for the Syrup Canyon area. Multiple residences in Syrup Canyon and Miller Ranch were defended today. Evacuations were ordered including the community of Mayfield, Canyon Creek area and the Danskin and Bennett Mountain Lookouts. Livestock was continued to move from out in front of the fire. Numerous road closures are in effect along with an area closure. Firefighters remained on the fire last night and will tonight continuing to construct direct lines while securing and protecting structures.  [Inciweb]

Dozens of structure have been destroyed or damaged by the two fire complexes, but the exact toll is not yet known/released.

Related Links

• Idaho Town Evacuated as Wildfires Rage  August 10, 2013

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