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Parker Ridge Fire again doubles in size;
details on the fire and firefighting efforts |
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August 10, 2015 |
Boundary County's Parker Ridge Fire continues to
grow. Reported at 263 acres just three days ago,
the fire has now more than doubled in acreage to
591 acres (as of yesterday, August 9).
Containment remains at 0%, due in large part to
the dangerous nature of the terrain where the
fire is located. The area contains many standing
dead trees. Winds in the area and the fire
itself make these unstable trees an extreme risk
to fall with the potential of injuring
on-the-ground firefighters.
 "Because
of the threat of treacherous safety concerns,
the team is managing the incident by utilizing
air resources to scout the fire thoroughly,"
fire officials said. "However, some ground
reconnaissance is occurring as the team looks
for the safest approaches and possible areas of
operations to engage the fire."
Officials report that the fire, which was
ignited by a lightning strike on July 29,
remains northeast of Parker Creek (located at
coordinates 48.907 latitude, -116.534
longitude), and has not progressed toward nearby
private land which lies in a more northeasterly
direction.
A new command team will assume control of the
fire today from the Arizona team that has been
working at the site. The new team, a Northern
Idaho Type 3 team, is commanded by Rodney J.
Weeks, who is the engine captain on the Coeur
d'Alene District of the Idaho Panhandle National
Forest. The Arizona team, stationed on the fire
for the past two weeks, will travel back to
their home base for a short break, then will
receive another duty assignment elsewhere during
this busy fire season in the western United
States.
“I’d like to thank Nathan Barretts’ Arizona team
for laying the foundation for the successful
management of this fire into the future,” said
Bonners Ferry District Ranger Kevin Knauth, of
the U.S. Forest Service.
(Story continues below this photo)
Rodney Weeks' team, one of two North Idaho
Incident Management Teams, will take over on the
Parker Ridge Fire at 6:00 p.m. today, August 10.
Mr. Weeks' team is the same Type 3 team that
managed the Boundary County Baker's Camp Fire in
mid-July. To ensure continuity of operations,
the incoming firefighters arrived a day early to
be briefed on the details of the Parker Ridge
Fire, and to ‘shadow’ the outgoing team until
they are fully up to speed before assuming
command of the fire.
At the Parker Ridge Fire, Mr. Weeks' team will
be managing 58 firefighters, including the
Helena Hotshots and numerous air and ground
resources.
Looking ahead at weather factors, there is some
concern about weather in the coming days. Fire
officials
report there is a fire weather watch for
increasing chances of thunderstorms this week,
and increasingly hot and unstable conditions
through mid-week. A cold front is anticipated to
pass Thursday night into Friday with strong
winds.
As a reminder, two forest trails are currently
closed due to this fire. These are the Parker
Ridge Trail #221, and the Fisher Peak Trail #14,
along with dispersed campsites along these
routes. Use of these trails is prohibited as
firefighters continue to be concerned for public
health and safety.
"Those considering outdoor recreation must be
aware of unpredictable conditions," fire
officials said. For the most current information
on trails and traveling in the area, one may
call the Parker Ridge Fire information phone
number: 208-267-6773.
(See additional photos / maps below
this photo).
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