BY KAREN BOSSICK
A popular hiking trail in the White Cloud Mountains has been closed as the Bible Back Fire burns in remote terrain in the Washington Creek drainage.
Trail 109 has been closed between Fourth of July Lake and Washington Lake because of the fire, which grew from 25 acres to 45 acres on Monday.
And the Custer County Sheriff is closing motorized boating operations on Redfish Lake while Fire Boss planes scoop water out of the lake. There is only limited non-motorized use on the north shore.
The Redfish Lodge shuttle, however, continues to shuttle hikers between the lodge and the inlet.
The Sawtooth National Forest imposed an area closure Monday night that involves all roads and trails beginning at the Grand Prize Trailhead. Forest Road 197, also known as the Pole Creek Road, is closed at the Champion Creek Cutoff Trailhead. Access on Forest Service Road 197 to the east of the trailhead is also closed. Trail 105 to Champion Lakes, however, remains open, a does Road 197 to the Champion Creek Cutoff Trail.
The fire was fanned by 30 mile per hour winds on Monday, said Fire Information Officer Bobbi Filbert. It was 0 percent contained.
The lightning-caused fire was detected at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 18, in subalpine fir forest 9,000 feet high southwest of Castle Peak.
A lightning storm hit the Stanley area on Monday, but Filbert did not know of any lightning strikes in the area of the fire. It did, however, produce hail ovr the fire.
The fire is being managed as a full suppression fire. Numerous dead standing trees or snags within the fire area pose a large risk to firefighters, especially given the winds.
Thirty-five firefighters are working to suppress hot spots on the western and southern flanks. And four helicopters and two Fire Boss scooper planes are dropping water on hot spots along the perimeter to slow the fire’s spread to the east.
Meanwhile, the Sharps Fire, which started east of Bellevue on July 29, remains about 90 percent contained. The Southern Idaho Type 3 Team that was working it transferred command back to local units over the weekend, indicating that fire activity is winding down.
Crews are continuing to monitor the north end of the Sharps Fire where the terrain is steep and rugged. They’re also repairing damage caused by dozer and hand lines.
Trails like Federal Gulch and Timber Draw on the north end of the fire remain closed. And the Upper Quigley Canyon and Cove Creek roads remain closed, as well.
As for the smoke that caused haze in the Wood River Valley on Monday? Blame fires in British Columbia and Washington. The Puget Sound area has been experiencing the worst air quality in its recorded history, and inbound flights to Seattle were delayed nearly three hours in some cases over the weekend.