Stateline Complex Wildfire update for July 28

Acres: Estimated 3,740 acres

Personnel: 344

Cause: Lightning

Containment: 3%

Start Date: Wednesday, July 7, 2021

Location: All Fires are SW of St. Regis, Tumbledown ⁓16.5 miles; Dolly Fire ⁓12.5 miles; Simmons Ridge Fires ⁓15.5; Fly 3 ⁓20 miles.

Fuels: Mixed conifer

Announcement: The road closure for Forest Highway 50 (St. Joe River Road) has been expanded from Quartz Creek down to Eagle Creek forest road 1214 to the Stateline on Golds Pass into Montana.

Overview: The Stateline Complex showed active fire behavior with groups of torching trees, short runs, and spotting, including a spot fire which occurred on the south side of the St. Joe River near the Tumbledown fire. South slopes and dead/down fuels continue to be the primary carrier and spread rates continue to increase with hot, dry weather and slope alignment. The remote location, steep terrain, limited access, distance between fires, and lack of suppression resources continues to challenge firefighting efforts and logistical support. The Stateline Complex includes the following fires (Please note the Stateline Complex was unable to get an infrared (IR) flight overnight due to aircraft availability. The acreage is estimated to be 3,740. Once we have updated fire acreage numbers we will post them): Berge Peak - contained, Broadaxe - contained, Deception – 147 acres; Dolly Creek – 705 acres; Fly 2 and Fly 3 merged and is now called the Fly 3 Fire – 92 acres; Fly Creek – 19 acres; Simmons Ridge – 144 acres; Simmons Ridge 2 – 320 acres; Simmons Leg – 43 acres; Swimming Bear – 20 acres; Tumbledown – 2,171 acres; Wampus Creek – 3.8 acres.

Fire Update: On Tuesday, July 27, a spot fire occurred near the Tumbledown fire within the Stateline Complex, on the south side of Forest Highway 50/St. Joe River. High temperatures across the fire area will support sustained active fire behavior, especially on south facing slopes. Crews will continue to monitor fire activity and prep and construct direct and indirect line where the highest probability of success exists.

Weather: Prior to cloud cover moving over the complex on Tuesday, July 27, temperatures peaked near 80 at the ridgetops with relative humidity (RH) bottoming in the mid-20s under mostly sunny skies. Expect another hot afternoon with humidity to trend 5-10% higher than yesterday's minimums. Winds are expected to be terrain-driven. Cloudy skies this morning will delay the inversion break until the early afternoon.

Smoke: Larger fires burning to the west of the Stateline Complex are contributing high level smoke to the forecast area. Unhealthy air quality will be observed throughout the day in and around the Stateline Complex, but conditions may improve slightly tomorrow.

Closures: On Tuesday, July 27, Shoshone County Sherriff’s Office issued a closure expansion for Forest Highway 50 (St. Joe River Road) from Quartz Creek down to Eagle Creek forest road 1214 to the Stateline on Golds Pass into Montana. Several other emergency closures remain in effect due to increased fire activity on the Stateline Complex. Access to Diamond and Cliff Lakes remains closed as well as the following roads and trails: Diamond Lake Road #7843, from milepost 0.00 at junction with Dry Creek Road #342 to the end of the road; Diamond Lake Trail #56, from milepost 0.00 at junction with Diamond Lake Road #7843 to the end of the trail; Cliff Lake Trail #100, from milepost 0.00 at junction with Diamond Lake Road #7843 to the end of the trail; and Dry Creek Divide Trail #203, from milepost 11.94 at junction with Dry Creek Road #342 to the end of the trail.   

Additionally, a temporary flight restriction remains in place for the entirety of the Stateline Complex area and several other areas remain closed, including Quartz Creek as well as the following: FSR 1216 from its junction at Highway 218 to its terminus; Gold Flat Campsite (T16N, R30W, Section 23); several trails and areas within the St. Joe Ranger District. The latest information is available at the links below. All closure information will continue to be available on the Stateline Complex Inciweb page (link below). Dry Creek Road #342 remains open for motorized use. 

Restrictions: Stage II Fire Restrictions are in effect for the Idaho Panhandle (Coeur d’Alene and Grangeville dispatch areas).

Know Before You Go:The Stateline Complex and incidents to the west and across the region are anticipated to persist into the coming weeks, resulting in area closures, visible smoke, decreased air quality, and impacts to travel and recreational activities. Local community members and visitors to the towns and recreation areas within and around the Idaho Panhandle National Forests are encouraged to stay informed of the fire activity within and around the Stateline Complex. The following links provide on-going updates on fire activity, closures and restrictions, and maps.

Stateline Complex Daily Updates on Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7627/

Idaho Panhandle National Forests Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/USFSIPNF

Lolo National Forest: https://www.facebook.com/USFSIPNF

Idaho Fire Map: https://idfg.idaho.gov/ifwis/maps/realtime/fire/

Idaho Smoke Information: http://idsmoke.blogspot.com/

Fire Information for Idaho Hunters & Anglers: https://idfg.idaho.gov/fire

Fire Restriction Information: http://www.idahofireinfo.com/ and https://www.mtfireinfo.org/

Area Closure Information: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/ipnf/alerts-notices.