Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Some rafters escape fire on Salmon River, others still trapped

Officials were able to evacuate 70 Salmon River rafters Friday, but boulders and other falling debris have blocked the road out, trapping the remaining rafters. On Wednesday officials took the rare step of closing an 18 mile stretch of the Lower Salmon River from French Creek to Riggins, Idaho, because of the approaching Tepee Springs Fire. Rafters were pulled off the river and shuttled to McCall, Idaho. Since then the Salmon River Road has been closed and residents evacuated. A group of rafters were escorted out to Riggins via the Salmon River Road Friday, but the road is now blocked by debris, according to the Bureau of Land Management. Efforts to evacuate the rafters to Riggins will resume once the road is cleared. Forest road 246, which was originally used to evacuate rafters to McCall, is now threatened by fire. The Tepee Springs Fire is at more than 48,000 acres and moving north. No new rafters are being allowed to launch upstream and rafters that are already on the river above the closed area are being asked to stay where they are.