Stateline Complex wildfire update for Aug. 16

Highlights: The Type 3 team is at the St Regis fire camp. They are managing the Tumbledown fire and 6 other smaller lightning caused fires. The Dolly fire has been given back to the Saint Joe Ranger District on the Idaho Panhandle National Forest to manage. The slight decrease in containment percentage for the complex is due to better ground truthing by fire fighters. Steep and difficult terrain and a shortage of Type 1 crews is making containment challenging for fire managers. Firefighters continue to assess and scout access points to the fire’s edge. Aviation resources are available to assist with fire suppression efforts.

Tumbledown Fire: 9,352 Acres | 20% Contained: Crews, engines and heavy equipment are building direct and indirect fire lines. Direct line is being built between Bluff Creek and Fuzzy Creek on the southwest corner of the fire. Firefighters continue to monitor fire activity in the Nugget Creek area, Eagle Peak drainage and along FSR 3723 on the north flank. Ridges are being scouted to tie prepped road systems into the St. Joe river and Bluff Creek road. Heavy equipment taskforce is building lines from Conrad Peak to the west on existing roads where possible to Bluff Point. Firefighters will be assessing and removing hazard trees along Highway 50 and containment fire lines.

Dolly Creek Fire 853 Acres |81% Contained: This fire is no longer being managed by the Stateline Complex. Please go to the Idaho Panhandle National Forest website for more information. This will be the last mention of this fire on the Stateline Complex Daily Update.

Weather and Smoke: A dry cold front moved through the area earlier this morning which will lead to changing weather conditions today. Slightly cooler temperatures and higher humidity levels will prevail. However more importantly, it will lead to breezy winds and much less smoke leading to another day of critical fire weather. For more information on smoke conditions, visit: https://fire.airnow.gov/.

Evacuations & Closures: The Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office has issued road closures in the area, including the St Joe River Road. For more information call the Sheriff’s office at (208) 556-1114. A fire closure order was issued for the St. Joe Ranger District. For more information on the USFS

Idaho Panhandle National Forests closures go to the Stateline Complex Inciweb site at: https://bit.ly/StatelineComplexClosure.