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For the week of  September 12 - 18, 2001

  News

Willow Creek Fire contained

Mop-up to conclude this week


By GREG STAHL
Express Staff Writer

With cool, moist weather aiding suppression efforts, firefighters successfully contained the 18,000-acre Willow Creek Fire Friday afternoon.

The fire ripped through sage and some timber between Fairfield and Hailey between Labor Day and Friday, Sept. 7. It allegedly began as a garbage fire contained in a 55-gallong drum, but fire managers said the cause is still under investigation.

The Willow Creek Bridge was one of two structures burned by the Willow Creek Fire last week. Crews were quick to restore the road, however. This culvert and dirt fill have replaced the old wooden structure. Express photoby David N. Selig

"The weather helped quite a bit when it cooled off, but it also pushed it in the early stages," South-Central Idaho BLM Fire Support Manager John Sabala said. "We’re winding down now. I expect there would be crews there throughout the week."

The wildfire, reported around noon on Sept. 3, started in the Willow Creek subdivision at the intersection of Willow Creek and Base Line roads in Camas County, between Fairfield and Hailey.

The fire started slow and was only 300 acres by 5 p.m. on Labor Day. But toward sunset it took off and consumed 2,000 to 3,000 acres of public and private lands by 8:30 p.m.

Willow Creek resident Dick Walton said the fire appeared completely out of control in the early stages.

"After it crossed (Willow Creek Road), it was burning in every compass direction, mostly uphill," he said.

Though a number of homes were in harm’s way, only one out-building and the Willow Creek Road bridge burned. The bridge has already been replaced by a culvert.

Seven of 13 fire crews were sent home or to other fires Friday morning. Only one crew, three engines and one helicopter are now working to extinguish hot spots.

Infrared imagery obtained Thursday night showed very few hot spots near the head of the fire, and a few hot spots in the interior.

The Willow Creek Fire ravaged 18,000 acres of sage and timber between Hailey and Fairfield last week. Photo courtesy of Dave and Matt Jensen

The burned area has a perimeter of 35 miles, of which 12 miles are lines cut by bull dossier, and the rest consist of road or hand-dug lines. The total burned area was roughly 6 miles wide by 8 miles long.

All road and trail closures have been lifted.

Containment of the fire was relatively rapid. On Wednesday morning, the blaze was only 10 percent contained, but by the day’s end, managers estimated 75 percent containment.

Cool, humid weather on Wednesday contributed significantly to the rapid containment, Sabala said.

Despite 40 to 60 mile per hour winds Thursday, firefighters maintained the upper hand.

Snow and rain slowed the spread of the Snowshoe Fire in the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness Area on Wednesday.

As much as 8 inches of snow fell at the fire camp at 8,000 feet, just west of the fire.

However, the fire still has potential to spread due to smoldering, heavy fuel and drier, warmer weather in the forecast, according to a Salmon-Challis National Forest press release.

Since Sept. 3, the fire grew 775 acres, reaching 22,275 acres before being slowed due to Wednesday night’s precipitation.

The Snowshoe Fire is burning in the vicinity of Elk Horn Creek and Pistol Creek in the Middle Fork of the Salmon River drainage.

The Salmon-Challis National Forest lifted its Stage I fire restrictions on Saturday. Stage I restrictions are still in effect on the Sawtooth, Payette and Boise national forests.


The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.