12 September 2012
“Large fires Washington, Oregon, Montana and Idaho made significant acreage gains over the past 24 hours. In Washington, the Barker Canyon Complex burned more than 75,000 acres, and the Apache Pass fire burned 10,000. The Dutch fire in Montana grew by nearly 16,000 acres, and the Mustang fire in Idaho burned an additional 8,400 acres. About 14,500 firefighters and support personnel are currently assigned to large fires across the country.”-National Interagency Fire Center statement
There haven’t been any new fires reported in eastern Idaho, but there are still major fires burning throughout the state, and region. More privately run air tankers have landed at Pocatello Tanker Base (Pocatello airport), including a second BAe-146-200; tanker 40 of Montana’s Neptune Aviation (leased from Tronos in Canada).
Click pics (by AAron B. Hutchins) to make bigger:
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- Sun setting through the smoked out sky, looking west from Chubbuck, Idaho, 12 September 2012.
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- Neptune Aviation’s BAe 146-200 tanker 41 after landing, spoilers deployed, at the smokey Pocatello Tanker Base.
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- Immediately following tanker 41 is the ancient Convair CV-580, operated by Canada’s CONAIR.
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- Following the old Convair is Neptune Aviation’s tanker 40, touching down.
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- Here’s comes a regular visitor, Neptune Aviation’s old PV-2 Neptune tanker 05.
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- Retardant staining on the old Convair.
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- As well on BAe 146-200 tanker 41….
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- ….and tanker 40. Photo by AAron B. Hutchins.
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- Neptune’s Neptune showing a little staining.
There are now nine large fires burning throughout Idaho.
Halstead Fire: More than 150,000 acres (60,702.8 hectares), evacuations in effect.
McGuire Complex Fire: More than 25,000 acres (10,117.14 hectares), evacuations are in effect.
Mustang Complex Fire: More than 289,000 acres (116,954.15 hectares), area closures are in effect.
Porcupine Complex Fire: More than 17,800 acres (7,203.4 hectares).
Powell SBW Complex Fire: More than 42,000 acres (16,996.79 hectares), area closures are in effect.
Sheep Fire: More than 21,600 acres (8,741.2 hectares), evacuations are in effect.
Skull Fire: New fire 35 miles northeast of Roundup.
Trinity Ridge Fire: More than 146,500 acres (59,286.44 hectares), area closures are in effect.
Wesley Fire: More than 3,800 acres (1,537.8 hectares), residences are threatened.
IDAHO WILDFIRE UPDATE, 11 SEPTEMBER 2012: MORE CANADIAN AIRCRAFT ARRIVE AT POCATELLO