Fire North of Stanley Difficult for Firefighters

BOISE — A wildfire burning in the central Idaho wilderness has grown to 3,700 acres. Fire

managers’ report the Halstead Fire is actively burning in subalpine fir and

lodgepole pine, about 18 miles northwest of Stanley. KTVB reports fire activity

has forced the closure of several campgrounds.

Large columns of smoke, and even flames, were visible to drivers

traveling along Highway 21 northwest of Stanley. Some campgrounds had to be

closed and campers turned away. Lightning sparked the Halstead Fire on Friday,

along with 10 other fires in the area.

It is located on the ridge between Beaver Creek and Marsh Creek in the

Salmon-Challis National Forest. An out of state, National Incident Management

Organization, known as NIMO, was transitioning to the Halstead Fire Tuesday.

The team is made up of specialized firefighters trained to fight rugged,

high-country fires. The fire is zero percent contained and the Forest Service

says firefighters are completing fuel breaks along Beaver Creek Road from Beaver

Creek Campground to Shake Creek. Officials do not believe this fire will be

extinguished soon or easily. Their goal is to minimize the effects of the

Stanley economy and keep it from spreading to high value assets in the area.