While winds did blow across the Sheep Fire near Lucile on Monday, fire crews say conditions were not as treacherous as expected.
There was moderate growth reported for the blaze, which is now at 20,800 acres, and conditions enabled firefighters to work on lines in the Slate Creek and John Day Creek drainages.
A 12-mile section of the lower Salmon River near Lucile has been closed to boating in order to give firefighting helicopters room to safely dip water. The closure does not affect the daylong rafting stretch from Riggins to the Lucile and New Lucile boat ramps. Rafters can continue to take out at the two ramps but can not float farther downstream.
The McGuire Complex is at 24,600 acres in size. Stage 2 evacuation warnings remain in effect for the Red River and Mallard Creek/Cook Ranch areas. Crews continue work to protect the communities of Dixie, Comstock and Orogrande.
Cloud cover and cool temperatures helped to counteract winds at the 42,220-acre Powell SBW Complex burning south and east of Powell.
A dozen new fires were reported in the North Fork Clearwater River Basin Monday. They are scattered roughly from Washington Creek to Hidden Creek in Black Canyon. The largest, Skull Creek, has burned 220 acres and moved into Collins Creek, where firefighters are working to protect the Collins Creek Bridge.
The Wesley Fire has torched 4,000 acres, as it continues to burn on the Payette National Forest.
