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

Burnout operations set for today on Craig Mountain Complex fire

By Mary Stone Lewiston Tribune

Prescribed burns intended to help contain the fires in the Craig Mountain Complex are set to be implemented today after Thursday proved too windy for the operation.

The fires south of Lewiston grew only slightly, with the Powerline Fire reaching 20,590 acres and the Corral Creek Fire remaining at about 1,800 acres.

The Powerline Fire, burning between Deer Creek and Wapshilla Creek in the lower Salmon River gorge, extended nearly to the confluence of the Snake and Salmon rivers Thursday. Listed as 5 percent contained, it continues to move south and west, said Northern Rockies Incident Management Team spokeswoman Jeanette Dreadfulwater.

The Corral Creek Fire, burning in the Corral Creek drainage on the northern end of Hells Canyon, continues to be listed as 50 percent contained.

The incident team’s meteorologist has indicated wind and humidity should be favorable this afternoon for the planned burnouts, Dreadfulwater said.

There are several residences and cabins in the burnout area, she said, but the fire has already burned around some of them, and most others have green lawns and “good, defensible” spaces.

“Crews will do a small burnout operation where it’s not green and create a blackline,” she said.

A crew member was taken by Life Flight from a spike camp to an area hospital late Wednesday evening after falling ill, Dreadfulwater said. No details about the nature of the illness were provided.

“The individual is expected to make a full recovery,” she said.

Three additional Hotshot crews arrived Thursday, bringing the total number of crew members on the Craig Mountain Complex to 576. Six helicopters, 13 fire engines, five bulldozers and four water tenders currently are working the fires.