Rain, cooler weather slow wildfires’ advance

The cooler weather with occasional rain showers this week has slowed the advance of numerous wildfires in the region, allowing crews to devote more efforts to create fire lines to keep the massive blazes in check.

The Tower fire burning near the Washington-Idaho border north of Newport made a 3-mile run to the north in front of brisk winds on Saturday, but by Wednesday it calmed enough that all evacuation notices were lifted. Forest closures remain in effect.

Firefighters have been securing fire lines and putting out hot spots, said fire information officer Craig McCaa. “Things have been going really well,” he said.

The 38-square-mile fire is considered 22 percent contained.

The Tepee Springs fire that forced the closure of the Salmon River near Riggins, Idaho, also has settled since growing explosively over the weekend. On Saturday it jumped the Salmon River and grew 30,000 acres on top of the 15,000 acres it had grown the day before.

“It’s not moving like it did,” said Patricia Bean, spokeswoman for the crews battling the fire. If winds remain out of the southwest, the fire should continue to creep along, she said. “We’re cautiously optimistic,” she said.

New Hotshot crews arrived at the fire and are working on the north end where most of the fire growth has been. The goal is to keep the fire south of the Salmon River in the French Creek area, where the fire has not jumped the water. On Tuesday several spot fires were discovered about five miles southeast of Riggins but Bean said crews have worked to contain them.

When the fire blew up over the weekend officials still were trying to evacuate rafters pulled off the river. Road closures because of fire and falling debris have been an issue, but Bean said the last group of rafters is expected to be escorted out of the area today. “We wait until it’s safe,” she said.

But new rafters likely will be on the river soon.

The Bureau of Land Management announced Wednesday that the Salmon River will reopen to rafters at 6 a.m. today, but several restrictions are in place and delays should be expected. The main Salmon River Road will remain closed, which includes the normal takeout sites of Carey Creek and Vinegar Creek. Rafters can float through the burned area and take out at the Shorts Bar Recreation Site just east of Riggins, which is more than 20 miles from Carey Creek.

The 145-square-mile fire is 30 percent contained.

The Carpenter Road fire in southwestern Stevens County also has slowed since moving north toward Huckleberry Mountain over the weekend. The fire grew only 30 acres overnight Tuesday into Wednesday and was described as creeping. The southern border of the fire, which is on the Spokane Indian Reservation, is considered to be in good shape.

Crews also are working to cut down dead trees along Springdale-Hunters Road. The road still was closed on Wednesday.

The fire, which has burned more than 100 square miles, is considered 45 percent contained.

Contrary to rumor, the 252-square-mile Tunk Block fire in Okanogan County and the 321-square-mile North Star fire on the Colville Indian Reservation have not merged but are being managed by the same command team.

“It’s still a couple miles away,” said fire information officer Rich Eagan. “If the weather cooperates, I think we’ll be OK.”

The two fires have been seeing the same cooler weather as the others, but Eagan said temperatures are forecasted to rise into the mid to high 80s on Saturday.

The two fires have a combined perimeter that stretched 380 miles, Eagan said.

Crews have been making an effort to protect homes in the area of Crawfish Lake as well as keeping the fire away from Nespelem and Republic.