Idaho Fire Season - Photo Essay
Around mile 60 on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River, a plume of gray smoke stood out on the horizon. As we rounded the bend, the source of the smoke revealed itself - a hillside wildfire. A low-intensity burn (at that moment) and ignited by lightening. Given it's location in the Frank Church Wilderness, it's free to do it's job.
I caught up to the National Helitack Crew based out of Salmon, Idaho while overnighting in Stanley, Idaho. Early that day, they jumped a fire started by - get this - some guy roasting a hotdog over an open fire. Apparently the wind swept a spark into his camp and ignited a bunch of fuel including his truck.
The crew flew out of Stanley a couple of times during the day and the next morning. The weather continued to be hot and dry with lots of lightening bouncing off the surrounding mountain peaks.
In the Frank Church - River of No Return Wilderness which this portion of the Middle Fork flows through, fires are either suppressed or allowed to burn to achieve the resource benefits as stated in the Wilderness's Fire Management Plan. This plan allows lightening-caused fires to play, as nearly as possible, their natural ecological role. The purpose of this is to reestablish the role of fire in perpetuating natural ecosystems within the Wilderness. Fire mosaics resulting from these fires will enhance wildfire habitat and esthetics over the long term.