BY MAX SILVERSON
The Star-News
Warm Lake Road was closed to the public as the lightning-caused Snag Fire grew to over 17,000 acres with 0% containment as of Tuesday.
Warm Lake Road was closed at the Horsethief Road intersection east to Johnson Creek Road. The fire is located about 11 miles east of Cascade.
Residents near Warm Lake and Horsethief Reservoir were told to be “ready” to evacuate, which is the first of three evacuation notices before “set,” and “go,” when people are advised to leave immediately.
Residents of Scott Valley were still allowed access to their property, despite the road closure.
Spot fires that started from embers kicked up by the main blaze had jumped to the north of Warm Lake Road in some areas, prompting Idaho Power to shut off a powerline to the north of the road.
“It is not good to mix fire with powerlines,” said Forest Service Public Information Officer Tim Phelps.
Firefighters cannot work under a live power line and helicopters cannot drop water on a live line either, Phelps said.
The power lines that were shut off serve homes around Warm Lake, the town of Yellow Pine the Krassel Work Station and other homes in the area.
Officials expect that the fire will likely continue north of the road in the coming week. The west side of the fire is expected to continue slowly backing downhill towards control lines with lower intensity.
Protective measures were underway at homes around Warm Lake and near Horsethief Reservoir, including sprinkler systems, fire lines and contingency plans.
The fire was designated as a “critical need” by the Forest Service and became the top priority fire in the region.
Because of that designation, more firefighters, crews, helicopters and equipment will be sent to the fire from across the region in the coming days, officials said.
Firefighters and equipment will also shift to the Snag Fire as other blazes come under increasing control.
“We’ve been focusing our crews and equipment on the Wolf Creek and Boulder fires over the past week or so,” he said.
Containment of those fires is expected to grow over the next week, reducing the risk to nearby communities. As that happens, more firefighters and equipment will be moved to the Snag Fire, Phelps said.
As of Wednesday, there were 34 firefighters assigned to the fire. The total cost of firefighting efforts on the fire was about $576,000.
The West Mountain Complex contains five fires across the Boise and Payette Forests as of Tuesday, including the Snag, Goat, Dollar Boulder, and Wolf Creek fires.
An area closure remained in effect for roads, trails and forest surrounding the fire. Level 1 fire restrictions remain in effect on the Boise and Payette National Forests, restricting campfires to official fire rings only, among other precautions.
For more information on the Snag Fire and the West Mountain Complex, visit https://linktr.ee/westmtncomplex.
