# Fires in Idaho



## IDriverRunner (Aug 18, 2015)

I'm on a Main group that is launching on the 11th. These late season trips you have to pretty much expect smoke anymore.


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## thomas (Sep 20, 2004)

IDriverRunner said:


> I'm on a Main group that is launching on the 11th. These late season trips you have to pretty much expect smoke anymore.


We’re launching on the 11th too. 
Here is the air quality forecast for Salmon, ID









Salmon Air Quality Index (AQI) and Idaho Air Pollution | IQAir


Salmon Air Quality Index (AQI) is now Moderate. Get real-time, historical and forecast PM2.5 and weather data. Read the air pollution in Salmon, Idaho with AirVisual.




www.iqair.com


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## blueotter (Nov 30, 2018)

Breathe deep, the gathering gloom....
Can you name that song?

We're launching Wed. Maybe the wind will shift....fingers crossed


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## jamesthomas (Sep 12, 2010)

Can’t name the song but I know for sure it’s the Moody Blues.


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## 2tomcat2 (May 27, 2012)

Nights in White Satin
Saw them in concert decades ago, what an experience!


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## carvedog (May 11, 2005)

Yes Idaho is pretty smoky right now. Also if coming from the South Hiway 75 North of Ketchum has been closed by fires in the Southern Sawtooths, Sawtooth City and Smiley Creek. Apparently burned over or right to Hiway 75 last evening. At least some homes were lost in the area as well. For the Main the air quality in Salmon is not what you will see on the river. The Moose Creek fire is very active just North and West of Salmon. Since you will be 30 miles west of there when you launch and winds are generally West to East it will not be as bad on river unless more stuff blows up to the West. 

Just to get a sense of smoke around the state the DOT webcams are useful but not definitive.






Idaho 511 Travel Information


Reports regarding traffic incidents, winter road conditions, traffic cameras, active and planned construction, etc.




511.idaho.gov





I use these webcams all year round to take me to the Middle Fork when I can't go. 



Live WebCam – Flying Resort Ranches



There are others too. There is actually a smoke plume tracker somewhere on this page. I found it once but can't find it again. 






Fire and Smoke Map







fire.airnow.gov





But yeah it's not great. One morning several years ago during a bad fire stretch I had my door open in downtown Ketchum. Someone came in and asked why I had the door open, since it was so smoky outside. I said I was just exchanging old campfire smell for new campfire smell. 

YMMV


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## BenSlaughter (Jun 16, 2017)

The fires in Eastern Oreegone will have more impact on the smoke on the Main Salmon than most of the fires in Idaho.


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## thomas (Sep 20, 2004)

Care


carvedog said:


> Yes Idaho is pretty smoky right now. Also if coming from the South Hiway 75 North of Ketchum has been closed by fires in the Southern Sawtooths, Sawtooth City and Smiley Creek. Apparently burned over or right to Hiway 75 last evening. At least some homes were lost in the area as well. For the Main the air quality in Salmon is not what you will see on the river. The Moose Creek fire is very active just North and West of Salmon. Since you will be 30 miles west of there when you launch and winds are generally West to East it will not be as bad on river unless more stuff blows up to the West.
> 
> Just to get a sense of smoke around the state the DOT webcams are useful but not definitive.
> 
> ...


Carvedog 
thanks for your input and for also keeping the post on track.


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## Happy Camper (Sep 8, 2020)

Here's another good resource: Smoke Forecast - FireSmoke.ca


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## BrendaBE (Feb 3, 2021)

blueotter said:


> Breathe deep, the gathering gloom....
> Can you name that song?
> 
> We're launching Wed. Maybe the wind will shift....fingers crossed


Late Lament by Moody Blues. Love that song!! My age is showing!😉


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## BrendaBE (Feb 3, 2021)

BrendaBE said:


> Late Lament by Moody Blues. Love that song!! My age is showing!😉


Knights in in White Satin


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## codycleve (Mar 26, 2012)

Current situation with 40 mile an hour winds forecast this evening. I don't think this will impact river access but the city of salmon watershed could be in trouble.


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## thomas (Sep 20, 2004)

codycleve said:


> Current situation with 40 mile an hour winds forecast this evening. I don't think this will impact river access but the city of salmon watershed could be in trouble.


Thanks for the update. Good luck to the folks in Salmon. Also, thank you for keeping this thread on point.


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## codycleve (Mar 26, 2012)

That escalated quickly


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## codycleve (Mar 26, 2012)

Shit is hitting the fan


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## thomas (Sep 20, 2004)

codycleve said:


> Shit is hitting the fan


Cody, I really appreciate the live updates. Be safe and stay healthy. Winds have stoked all the fires up there. Winter can’t come soon enough.


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## carvedog (May 11, 2005)

Just found this page of Salmon webcams...maybe they were posted before but I didn't see.









Webcams in Idaho’s Salmon Valley | Visit Salmon Valley, Idaho


Find Webcams around Idaho's Salmon Valley Rivercam at Stagecoach Inn Summit Bank Webcam Lemhi Airport 3 Rivers Ranch Hockey rink & Mountain View Gilmore Summit Willow Creek Summit Lost Trail Pass



www.visitsalmonvalley.com


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## Kkayaker (Jun 11, 2015)

We floated the main and finished at Carey Creek on the 6th. Our last 3 days had smoke in the canyon. It made a difference in the star view at night. The upstream wind reportedly brought smoke from the Hells Canyon area. It was not like a June trip, but I would go again next week. One positve was the number of cancellations led to a less crowded experience. One day we saw no other groups for the entire day.


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## idahogiants (Aug 19, 2020)

Anyone have any recent intel on the Patrol Point fire burning on the Main? Looks like it's mostly river left between Disappointment and Chamberlain Creeks just below Lantz, but could also drop down into the canyon further downstream. Seems to have significantly blown up in the last few days in lock step with the activity of the Moose.

Patrol Point Fire


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## wack (Jul 7, 2015)

I was at Upper Lantz the day that Patrol Point fire popper up. It was concerning enough that we sent a txt to our local contact at All Rivers to get beta. Ashes is camp and on the boats.Apparently it burned down to the river the next afternoon after we floated by. Photo taken at 10pm looking downstream from Lantz

launched 9/1 took out 9/8 . Smokey the whole way down river. One member of our party with breathing issues wore a mask in camp.
Night of 9/7 some other fire popped up making it super bad air quality again. Ashes is camp and on the boats.


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## Lauren N (Oct 27, 2020)

Just got off. Smoldering fire around mile 15 on 9/2.
Last night 9/7 smoke rolled in super thick after we had a quick thunder storm in the morning.
Saw a chinook hauling buckets right before Vinegar.


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## RunningCrow (Jun 10, 2018)

I prefer this website.
This links is cued into Moscow, Idaho, generally NW fo the Main, Middle Fork, and Selway.




__





Fire and Smoke Map







fire.airnow.gov




FYI the morning winds in Moscow frequently blow from the east but shift to the west later.
Craig


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