Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Regional fires cause delays, air concerns

Blazes continue to grow in Salmon-Challis

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By KATHERINE WUTZ
Express Staff Writer

Smoke blankets the Wood River Valley on Sunday afternoon, as seen from the southwest side of Dollar Mountain looking south. Express photo by Greg Foley

Regional fires continued to expand over the weekend and early this week, causing delays at the local airport and air quality concerns throughout Blaine County.

Three major fires resulted in smoke in the region over the weekend and Monday and Tuesday: the Halstead Fire burning north of Stanley, the Mustang Complex fire on the Salmon-Challis National Forest near Salmon and the Trinity Ridge Fire, which continued to burn near Featherville.

Friedman Memorial Airport Manager Rick Baird said that the fire was causing delays of 15 minutes to 30 minutes, especially over the weekend.

"It's slowing arrivals and departures," he said. "People who want to get here are getting here, people who want to leave are leaving, but there have been delays at key times."

Baird said delays might increase this weekend with traffic from the Killebrew-Thompson Memorial Golf Tournament to be held in Sun Valley starting on Wednesday, Aug. 14. Still, he said, he does not expect delays to stretch into hours rather than minutes.

"It's similar to what you might expect if you are experiencing cloudy weather," he said.

An air quality alert was issued by the National Weather Service in Pocatello on Sunday, and remained in effect through Tuesday morning. The service reported that smoke from the Trinity Ridge and Halstead fires could cause hazards for people with asthma or other respiratory difficulties.

The alert urged residents to avoid all strenuous and prolonged outdoor activity so long as the smoke remained widespread.

Jenny King, spokeswoman for St. Luke's Wood River Medical Center, said that the citizens seem to be heeding the alert.

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"We have had no increase in patients with respiratory illnesses because of the smoke," she said, adding, "Hopefully it won't last too much longer."

But the regional fires continue to grow even as smoke in the Wood River Valley lifts slightly.

The Trinity Ridge fire reached 37,044 acres and only 5 percent containment on Tuesday afternoon, burning with such heavy smoke that a U.S. Forest Service report stated Tuesday that fire crews were having difficulty determining what parts of the fire were actively burning.

The Mustang Complex Fire near Salmon caused the closure of the Salmon River Road on Monday, due to a back burn that came close to the road. The road was to remain closed through Tuesday, Aug. 14, due to debris on the road. The fire was at 9,974 acres as of Tuesday afternoon.

The Halstead Fire broke 50,000 acres on Monday and reached more than 51,000 acres on Tuesday afternoon, burning 18 miles northwest of Stanley in timber with large areas of beetle-killed trees. A Forest Service report stated that natural barriers to the east were slowing the fire's progression, but many campgrounds in the area still remain closed.

The agency stated that travelers on Highway 21 should proceed with caution, due to the increased fire activity and the heavy equipment that is using that road.

The Forest Service will hold a community meeting to educate the public about the fire's growth and suppression strategies tonight, Aug. 15, at 7 p.m. at the Stanley Community Center.

Ketchum District Ranger Kurt Nelson said that all fire restrictions are still in effect—meaning that campfires are only allowed on developed campgrounds where there are signs that clearly state the area is open for fires. Smoking is also forbidden on forest service lands unless in an enclosed vehicle or building.

"We're a little edgy right now, given the number of fires that are occurring on the forest," he said.

Kate Wutz: kwutz@mtexpress.com

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