Moose Fire is 80% contained

SALMON – Firefighters on the Moose Fire are inching closer to full containment as growth reaches an all-time low.

As of Wednesday morning, the 130,119-acre blaze is 80% contained, according to a news release from Salmon-Challis National Forest. It’s only grown 7 acres since Saturday’s update. Full containment is estimated for Oct. 31.

Fire officials announced last month that the Moose Fire, which began on July 17, is the result of an unextinguished and unattended campfire. This comes after months of investigation and officials are asking for the public’s help in identifying anyone who may have been present at the camping area from the afternoon of July 16 to the morning of July 17. Send your information to SM.FS.2022MooseTip@usda.gov.

Two helicopter pilots were killed in July while assisting with firefighting efforts. A wildland firefighter from Oregon died on Sept. 20 following a medical emergency. No other injuries have been reported.

Favorable weather conditions have contributed to the lack of fire growth in the last few weeks. The forecast is calling for a transition to warmer and dryer conditions, which fire personnel will continue to monitor. But they’re not anticipating any drastic fire behavior.

“Crews continue to work on repair projects with forest resource advisors, returning damaged areas to a more stable condition. Significant progress has been made on a number of these projects, including completion of repair along the 300 Road, completion of repair work in the Jureano Mountain/Trapper Ridge area, completion of fuels removal and repair in the powerline corridor and repair work south of Salmon from Old Leesburg Road south towards Gorley Creek,” the news release says.

Temporary closures remain in effect on public lands north of Salmon, south of Wallace Creek, and west of the Fairgrounds/Diamond Creek Road. Click here for further information.

There aren’t any areas under evacuation right now.

Great Basin Incident Management Team 5 will shift the responsibility of fire command operations to the Great Basin Incident Management Team 7 at 8 p.m. Wednesday.