More federal, state forest lands closed due to wildfires
<p>Deputy ranger Ryan Foote announces an upcoming temporary closure in the USFS Coeur d’Alene River Ranger District north of Interstate 90. Foote addressed More than 100 people during a town meeting at the Prichard Murray Fire Hall Thursday night, and his announcement was met with applause as the Grizzly Complex Fire in the area has scorched more than 12,000 acres of public land.</p>
<p>Attendees of an informational fire meeting spill into the parking lot at the Prichard Murray Fire Hall to hear news about a temporary closure in the USFS Coeur d’Alene River Ranger District north of Interstate 90.</p>
Due to the increasing number of wildfires in the area and concern for public safety, a temporary emergency wildfire closure has been issued.
The closure is for all public lands north of Interstate 90, south of Forest Road 332, east of U.S. 95 and west of the Idaho/Montana border.
This emergency closure includes all National Forest System lands, Bureau of Land Management lands, and state endowment forest lands within the described boundaries. The emergency closure will start Sunday at 12:01 a.m. This will allow time for members of the public to remove any trailers, hunting equipment or other property currently left on federal lands within the new closure area.
Areas already under emergency closures will not be reopened for property retrieval. Once the new closure is implemented on Sunday morning, only private landowners and residents will be allowed past barricades to access their property.
"The decision to implement this emergency closure was not easy to make, but it is absolutely necessary to protect the public as a large number of fires are burning in the area, and more fires are being detected almost every day," said Mary Farnsworth, Idaho Panhandle National Forest Supervisor.
Starting Sunday morning, it will be unlawful to be within the emergency closure boundary. Violation of the emergency closure is punishable by a fine of $150 to $5,000 depending on the severity of the violation. However, the following roads and areas are exempt from the closure and will remain open:
* Forest Road 332 between Bunco Road and Forest Road 278.
* The North Fork Coeur d'Alene River Road from Kingston, Idaho, to Shoshone Base Camp.
* Highway 9 from Prichard, Idaho, to Thompson Pass.
* Beaver Creek Road (FR 456), Dobson Pass Road, and 9 Mile Creek Road, between Babins Junction and Wallace.
* Mokins Bay Campground.
* English Point Recreation Area near Hayden Lake.
* Wallace Forest Conservation Area at Blue Creek Bay, Bureau of Land Management.
* Shoshone County Airport, Bureau of Land Management.
* Private lands within the emergency closure remain open to property owners and residents, and have not been evacuated. Property owners and residents who wish to access their properties must obtain credentials for obtaining access through the barricades. Credentials may be obtained by bringing proof of residency or ownership to either of the Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District offices in Fernan or Smelterville. The offices will be open through the weekend from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., during regular business hours on weekdays.
Obtaining credentials is a critical step for safety because it allows firefighters to know who may be in the closure area, and where they are, in case of significant fire spread or new fire starts in the area. In some cases, due to fire activity, property owners and local residents may be required to take longer or less direct routes to their property. Alternate routes are established for public safety and may be modified as fires spread, or due to ongoing firefighting activities.
For more information on temporary emergency wildfire closures, please contact your local Forest Service office or visit our website at www.fs.usda.gov/IPNF.
For current wildfire information, including maps and information center phone numbers, please visit www.inciweb.nwcg.gov.