W.I.S.E. Fire Tracking

South Barker WFU Fire

Location: 1 mi N of Featherville, Elmore Co. ID

Specific Location: N. Pine Featherville Rd. to Barker Gulch, Sawtooth NF, Lat 43° 37´ 24″ Lon 115° 13´ 41″

Date of Origin: 08/07/2008
Cause: lightning

Situation as of 09/18/08 6:00 PM
Personnel: 57
Size: 38,583 acres
Percent Contained: 0%
Maximum desired fire size (MMA): 109,752 acs

Costs to Date: $7,041,364

Fire has grown 2,500 acres in 2 days. Fire management response has been to downsize and demobilize resources.

Planned Actions: Monitor fire behavior, fire growth, and implement checking actions as warranted to protect private structures and maintain fire within the MMA. Maintain structure protection readiness. Evaluate burn severity. Continue to staff road guards to maintain the area closure and ensure public safety.

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Situation as of 09/16/08 5:00 PM
Personnel: 61
Size: 36,000 acres
Percent Contained: 0%
Maximum desired fire size (MMA): 109,752 acs

Costs to Date: $6,847,343

Road was opened from Featherville to Bumgartner, but remains closed from Bumgartner to Big Smokey to maintain the area closure and ensure public safety. Some structure assessment protection around Platt Mine.

Fire activity today included creeping, individual and group tree torching in the timber in upper Willow Creek, Burnt Log Creek, and Upper Narrow Canyon observed some crown spread. Some growth was observed today due to hot dry conditions.

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Situation as of 09/14/08 5:00 PM
Personnel: 59
Size: 34,250 acres
Percent Contained: 0%
Maximum desired fire size (MMA): 109,752 acs

Costs to Date: $6,719,437

Continued downsizing and demobilizing excess resources. Continued to backhaul some supplies and equipment.

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Situation as of 09/12/08 5:45 PM
Personnel: 80
Size: 34,250 acres
Percent Contained: 0%
Maximum desired fire size (MMA): 109,752 acs

Costs to Date: not updated, est $5.2 million

Svalberg’s Team was DMOB’d today. Fire was turned back to the District and Kim Soper is now the Fire Use Manager. A Fire Use Module (Tushar Team) has been ordered and will report to Fairfield on 9/13.

Fire activity today included creeping and individual group tree torching in timber in upper Willow Creek, upper Weeks Gulch, Burnt Log Creek, and Big Water Creek. No appreciable growth was observed.

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Situation as of 09/10/08 4:40 PM
Personnel: 132
Size: 34,250 acres
Percent Contained: 0%
Maximum desired fire size (MMA): 109,752 acs

Costs to Date: $5,053,771

Continued to staff road guards to maintain the area closure and ensure public safety. Initiated the downsizing and demobilization of excess operational resources.

Fire activity today included creeping surface fire spread and individual tree torching in timber in upper Weeks Gulch, Burnt Log Creek, and Big Water Creek.

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Situation as of 09/09/08 4:30 PM
Personnel: 257
Size: 34,250 acres
Percent Contained: 0%
Maximum desired fire size (MMA): 109,752 acs

Costs to Date: $4,927,276

Conducted split shift operations for extended staffing of structure protection in Div. Z (Upper South Fork Boise River Estates). Strong winds forecasted. Continued to staff road guards to maintain the area closure and ensure public safety. Conducted a public meeting at the Pine Senior Center at 1200 with approximately 50 attendees. Preparations to begin downsizing the existing base camp at Kelly Flat and establish a smaller scale base camp at the Methodist Camp.

Fire activity today included creeping surface fire spread and individual tree torching in timber in upper Weeks Gulch, Burnt Log Creek, and Big Water Creek.

Note: despite vile propaganda to the contrary, “torching” means large trees are being killed. Fire does not differentiate between small and large trees.

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Situation as of 09/08/08 4:15 PM
Personnel: 256
Size: 34,250 acres
Percent Contained: 0%
Maximum desired fire size (MMA): 109,752 acs

Costs to Date: $4,686,797

South Barker WFU acres: Sawtooth NF acres = 31120, Boise NF acres = 3130. There are currently 71 miles of fire perimeter. Of this 15.4 miles of the fire perimeter has been secured and 33.4 miles contain heat with potential for additional growth. Approximately 31% of the MMA has been visited by the South Barker Fire.

Secured heat near fire edge in Div. C near the NW corner of the fire. Utilized sand table exercises to refine structure protection operations in Div. Z (Upper South Fork Boise River Estates).

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Situation as of 09/07/08 4:10 PM
Personnel: 242
Size: 34,200 acres
Percent Contained: 0%
Maximum desired fire size (MMA): 109,752 acs

Costs to Date: $4,596,360

Continued to staff road guards to maintain the area closure and ensure public safety. Revised evacuation planning and implementation procedures with the Camas County Sheriff’s Office.

Patrolled fire edge in Div. A, Div. C, and to the north and northeast of private property in Div. B. Continued structure protection operations in Div. Z. Continued securing the fire edge in Div. D on the southeast side of the fire so that it does not breach the MMA boundary. Continued to staff road guards to maintain the area closure and ensure public safety.

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Situation as of 09/05/08 4:20 PM
Personnel: 252
Size: 34,100 acres
Percent Contained: 0%
Maximum desired fire size (MMA): 109,752 acs

Costs to Date: $4,246,275

Limited fire growth today with individual tree torching in timber in upper Weeks Gulch, Burnt Log Creek, and Big Water Creek.

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Situation as of 09/03/08 4:10 PM
Personnel: 246
Size: 33,950 acres
Percent Contained: 0%
Maximum desired fire size (MMA): 109,752 acs

Costs to Date: $3,932,070

Minimal fire growth today with some fire spread in sage/grass and isolated torching and short range spotting in timber [whoops, they mean forest] in upper Weeks Gulch, Burnt Log Creek, Big Water Creek, and on the ridge east of Narrow Canyon.

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Situation as of 09/02/08 4:30 PM
Personnel: 225
Size: 33,900 acres
Percent Contained: 0%
Maximum desired fire size (MMA): 109,752 acs

Costs to Date: $3,450,718 (not updated)

Completed a draft revision to the Stage III Wildland Fire Implementation Plan including the development of new Management Action Points (MAPs). Conducted a community meeting at the Pine Senior Center with approximately 50 attendees.

15.4 miles of the fire perimeter has been secured. Actions to secure fire edge were taken to minimize burned acres on the Boise NF, keep fire out of the community of Featherville, keep fire off privately owned lands and insure fire stays within the Maximum Manageable Area (MMA). Approximately 30% of the MMA has been visited by the South Barker Fire. [Visited? More like incinerated.]

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Situation as of 09/01/08 4:30 PM
Personnel: 211
Size: 33,600 acres
Percent Contained: 0%
Maximum desired fire size (MMA): 109,752 acs

Costs to Date: $3,450,718

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Situation as of 08/31/08 4:30 PM
Personnel: 211
Size: 33,500 acres
Percent Contained: 0%
Maximum desired fire size (MMA): 109,752 acs

Costs to Date: $3,350,718

Staffed road guards to maintain the area closure and insure public safety. Conducted a public meeting at the Methodist Camp in the vicinity of the Upper South Fork Boise River Estates. There were 100+ attendees.

Continued structure protection assessments and structure protection actions in Div. Z. Improved handline along fire edge above privately owned lands in Div. B.

Sawtooth NF acres = 29,616, Boise NF acres = 3,128. The Fire Use Management Team is also managing the Old Sam, Johnson Creek, Johnson 2, and Two Point WFUs within the Maximum Manageable Area for the South Barker WFU.

The Johnson 2 WFU grew to approximately 30 acres. Inserted a helicopter module to the Johnson 2 WFU to contain the fire within the Maximum Manageable Area (MMA) boundary.

Single and group tree torching and short crown runs with short to medium range spotting in Jumbo, Weeks and Burnt Log Creek. Fire activity will continue into the evening hours with continued winds.

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Situation as of 08/30/08 4:00 PM
Personnel: 154
Size: 32,244 acres
Percent Contained: 0%
Maximum desired fire size (MMA): 109,752 acs

Costs to Date: $3,065,807

Torching and short range spotting in upper Weeks Gulch, upper Willow Creek, and on the ridge east of Narrow Canyon. Potential for increased fire behavior through the evening hours with passage of cold front.

Planned Actions: Continue structure protection work, primarily in Div. Z in the Upper South Fork Boise River Estates. Conduct a public meeting at the Methodist Camp in the vicinity of the Upper South Fork Boise River Estates. Establish at spike camp at the Bear Creek Transfer Camp. Conduct containment actions on the Johnson 2 WFU to keep it with the Maximum Manageable Area (MMA) boundary.

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Situation as of 08/29/08 5:30 PM
Personnel: 154
Size: 31,744 acres
Percent Contained: 0%
Maximum desired fire size (MMA): 109,752 acs

Costs to Date: $2,944,811

Implemented an expanded area closure. Secure South Fork Boise River Ranches area. Begin implementing structure protection plan in the Upper South Fork Boise River Estates.

Transition from the Soper FUMT to the Svalberg FUMT began today with a planned turnover of the Incident at 0600 August 30, 2008.

Sawtooth NF acres = 28,616, Boise NF acres = 3,128.

Fire continues to be active in Lower Willow Creek, Stevens Gulch, Van Gulch, and Camp Gulch spreading south toward FR 227. Fire behavior has increased from previous day in the lower elevations in the South Fork Boise River due to strong winds. Today’s fire behavior was active in the sage and grass with intermittent torching with spotting and short crown runs in timber stringers.

Another Palouser (late summer windstorm) is expected Saturday or Sunday.

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Situation as of 08/28/08 5:00 PM
Personnel: 148
Size: 24,084 acres (no update)
Percent Contained: 0%
Maximum desired fire size (MMA): 109,752 acs

Costs to Date: $2,497,055

Fire Use Modules are continuing to assess structures, monitor fire behavior, and collecting burn severity data.

Another Palouser (late summer windstorm) is expected Saturday or Sunday.

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Situation as of 08/27/08 1:00 PM
Personnel: 168
Size: 24,084 acres
Percent Contained: 0%
Maximum desired fire size (MMA): 109,752 acs

Costs to Date: $2,386,945

Structure protection was instituted around the residences at the South Fork Boise River Ranches.

Fire continues to be active in Lower Willow Creek, Stevens Gulch, Van Gulch, and Camp Gulch spreading south toward FR 227. Fire behavior has increased from previous day in the lower elevations in the South Fork Boise River due to strong winds.

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Situation as of 08/26/08 4:30 PM
Personnel: 152
Size: 23,691 acres
Percent Contained: 0%
Maximum desired fire size (MMA): 109,752 acs

Costs to Date: $2,199,346

Fire behavior has increased from previous day due to increase in winds, and drop in RH. Today’s fire behavior was intermittent torching with spotting and short crown runs in timber stringers. 4,266 acres increase in fire size today.

[Note: crown fires kill forests. This fire is out of control. - Ed]

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Situation as of 08/25/08 5:30 PM
Personnel: 189
Size: 19,425 acres
Percent Contained: 0%
Maximum desired fire size (MMA): 109,752 acs

Costs to Date: $2,063,580

The sheep herd and herder that were discovered in the top of of Big Water Gulch last night have been moved to the east into Skeleton Creek out of harms way.

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Situation as of 08/24/08 5:15 PM
Personnel: 230
Size: 13,910 acres
Percent Contained: 0%
Maximum desired fire size (MMA): 109,752 acs

Costs to Date: $1,846,011

Fire continues to be active in the Willow Creek drainage spreading in a northeasterly direction. Fire behavior has increased from previous day due to increase in winds, and drop in RH [relative humidity]. Burnout to secure W boundary. [Burn baby burn. Forest health is just oozing out all over this fire. Damn, what a healthy forest we're getting. - Ed]

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Situation as of 08/23/08 5:15 PM
Personnel: 229
Size: 12,687 acres (no update)
Percent Contained: 0%
Maximum desired fire size (MMA): 109,752 acs

Costs to Date: $1,720,861

Three Norwegian Fire Professionals received a first class tour of the South Barker Base Camp, on the ground Fire Operations, and a review of the Incident Command System today. The final WFIP Stage III was approved and signed by Sawtooth NF Forest Supervisor Jane Kollmeyer today.

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Situation as of 08/22/08 5:15 PM
Personnel: 227
Size: 12,687 acres
Percent Contained: 0%
Maximum desired fire size (MMA): 109,752 acs

Costs to Date: $1,498,752

Fire has become active to the east in the Willow Creek drainage where a spot occurred one mile out from the main fire several days ago.

The final WFIP Stage III is awaiting approval from the Forest.

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Situation as of 08/21/08 5:00 PM
Personnel: 249
Size: 8,656 acres
Percent Contained: 0%
Maximum desired fire size (MMA): 109,752 acs

Costs to Date: $1,233,543

The WFIP Stage III was presented to Sawtooth NF Forest Supervisor Jane Kollmeyer this afternoon.

Fire behavior has increased due to windy conditions with intermittent torching with some limited spotting.

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Situation as of 08/20/08 5:00 PM
Personnel: 239
Size: 7,391 acres
Percent Contained: 0%
Maximum desired fire size (MMA): 109,752 acs

Costs to Date: $1,054,867

Fire continues to be active in the Cayuse Creek drainage below Cayuse Point.

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Situation as of 08/19/08 4:30 PM
Personnel: 246
Size: 6,530 acres [2,000 acres of national forest per day being incinerated]
Percent Contained: 0%
Maximum desired fire size (MMA): 109,752 acs [note: this is a classic example of how the objectives for a WFU change while the fire is burning - Ed]

Costs to Date: not reported [a classic example of the sloppy and secretive nature of WFU's. WFU Fire managers are not forthcoming and largely incompetent - Ed]

Fire experienced intermittent and group tree torching with spotting to the north with good convective development in the afternoon. [translation: group tree torching means all trees killed, 100% mortality. Good convective development means fire storm with plume. A classic example of how forest resources are being destroyed, not benefited - Ed]

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Situation as of 08/18/08 5:00 PM
Personnel: 220
Size: 4,691 acres
Percent Contained: 0%
Maximum desired fire size (MMA): 90,000 acs

Costs to Date: $700,554

The Fire Use Management Team managing the South Barker WFU is also managing the Willow Creek WFU, Old Sam WFU, Johnson Creek WFU, Johnson Creek 2 WFU,and Two Point WFU which are within the Maximum Management Area for the South Barker WFU.

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Situation as of 08/16/08 7:00 PM (24 hrs late)
Personnel: 165
Size: 2,787 acres
Percent Contained: 0%
Maximum desired fire size (MMA): 90,000 acs

Costs to Date: $303,905

The injured firefighter reported in yesterdays 209 was a rist injury received when the firefighter dislodged a rock while working and was hit by it. [sic] [No 209 was reported by the East Basin CC for 08/15 - Ed]

Fire behavoir being monitored and structure assessment continues. [sic] [A pressing need has been identified for the East Basin CC professional Information staff. Does anybody out there have a spelling/grammar checker they could use? - Ed]

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Situation as of 08/15/08 8:00 PM
Personnel: 167
Size: 2,391 acres
Percent Contained: 0%
Maximum desired fire size (MMA): 90,000 acs

Costs to Date: not reported

Responsible official: Sawtooth NF Forest Supervisor Jane Kollmeyer
Phone Number: (208) 737-3200

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Situation as of 08/14/08 5:30 PM
Personnel: 160
Size: 1,655 acres
Percent Contained: 0%

Costs to Date: not reported
Maximum desired fire size: not reported

Progress continues to be made to keep fire E of the Boise Forest and north of the South Fork of Boise River. Presently transitioning with a Type 2 wildland fire use incident management team.

Moderate fire behavior with isolated short duration crown runs.

Planned Actions: Handline construction and burnout to keep fire within the unreported and flexible maximum manageable area.

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Situation as of 08/13/08 6:00 PM
Personnel: 154
Size: 1,352 acres
Percent Contained: 0%

Costs to Date: not reported
Maximum desired fire size: not reported

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Situation as of 08/12/08 6:00 PM
Personnel: 111
Size: 650 acres
Percent Contained: 0%