Artic Lodge

Structure and Area Description

Property Description and Ownership

Artic Lodge is a private in holding within the Franck Church-River of No Return Wilderness. The property is located at the mouth of Artic Creek and the Main Salmon River. The legal description is T25N R12E Sec.21 45 29.51N 114 59.51 W. It is located 13 miles NE of Chamberlain airstrip and 30 miles NE of Big Creek airstrip.

Owner/Manager Contacts

Krassel Ranger District of the PayetteNational Forest has the management responsibilities for the area surrounding the lodge.

District Ranger / Joe Harper / 208-634-0601
District FMO / Sam Hescock / 208-634-0610
District AFMO / Alexis Martin / 208-634-0611
Forest Dispatch Office / Gary Murphy / 208-634-0395
Forest FMO / Gary Brown / 208-634-0710
BitterrootNat.Forest / Jacquie Parks / 406-821-1214
Owner / Jack Smith / 208-865-2372

Topography and Fuel Modeling

The lodge site is situated at the mouth of Artic Creek along the Main Salmon River in the valley bottom. Topography of the river canyon is characterized by extremely steep slopes bisected by numerous secondary ridges and draws resulting continuous subtle aspect changes. Fire behavior will be locally influenced by changing aspects but historical large fire movement, burning over an extended period has been toward the northeast.

Fire Behavior Models (H.E. Anderson): The dominant over story structure of the Salmon RiverCanyon is Ponderosa Pine, Douglas fir pockets can be found dispersed through out the Basin depending on aspects, elevation, and water availability. Fuel modeling locally is an extensive Ponderosa Pine with grass sagebrush under story, representing FM-2 with numerous pockets of large woody downfall, FM-8.

Wilderness Considerations

The Artic Lodge site is located within the FC-RONR Wilderness. Suppression and protection efforts on Federal Wilderness lands will have constraints, concerns, and special needs that will have to be resolved or mitigated depending o the situation before implementation. In the event of structure protection implementation, a district Wilderness Resource Advisor will be notified and assigned to the protection overhead cadre. Listed below are primary items that an Incident Commander will need to consider when implementing structure protection on Federal Wilderness lands.

Constraints

  • Hydrology
  • Soils
  • Fisheries
  • Archeology
  • Vegetation
  • Visuals

Concerns

  • Hydrology
  • Soils
  • Fisheries
  • Archeology

Vegetation

Protection Implementation

The decision to implement structure protection will be based on current and predicted weather, fuels, and fire behavior. When fire(s) is burning in the vicinity, a Fire Behavior Analyst should be assigned the responsibility on monitoring the fire and keeping the District Ranger and Fire Staff informed on the fire’s behavior and progression. Protection provisions must be made well in advance of the fire’s burning into the fuels adjacent to the developed site. The plan should be implemented a minimum of three days prior to the fire’s expected arrival to the site. Previously ignited wildland fires burning to within a mile or new ignitions within the mile radius should be red flagged with daily monitoring and fire behavior predictions using the daily and three day forecasts. Personal observations and predictions by an experienced FBA during times of extreme fire conditions will be essential for the timely implementation of structure protection ground work.

Structure Assessment Worksheet

LOCATION

Site: / Name:Artic Creek
Lat:45 29.865 / Long:114 59.859
Legal:

FACTORS INFLUENCING RATE OF SPREAD

Slope:0-10% / Position on Slope:Bottom / Aspect:NE
Fuel Model:10 in riparian / Fuel Continuity:Continuous / Ladder Fuels:Riparian vegetation and branches from conifers.
Remarks:Existing sprinklers around site, has shelter wrap over wood piles, shelter wrap was used in past, very green vegetation. See hard copy for more info
Resources:MARK lll pumps, hose lays, more sprinklers, more shelter wrap, five person hand crew.
Equipment on Site:Sprinklers.
Available Barriers:Artic creek runs through property and under deck, there are rocks on the east and west side of the creek creating a narrow canyon that the house sits in.
Access/Egress:By boat, no LZ.
Occupancy (number, type, etc.):Summer lodge, so 2-5.

IDENTIFIED PROTECTION LEVEL

1. / No protection
2. / Handline construction concurrent with threatening fire
3. / Handline and burnout concurrent with threatening fire
4. / X / Fire shelter or water system protection concurrent with threatening fire
5. / X / Fugitive retardant drops concurrent with threatening fire (if in the crowns.)
6. / Use of heavy equipment for fireline construction concurrent with threatening fire Site/Structure/Improvement
7. / X / Site/Structure/Improvement pretreatment fuels reduction of unnatural fuels prior to fire event
A. Fuels Reduction
B. Flammable material movement (firewood, etc.)

STRUCTURE DESCRIPTION

Roof Construction Type/Condition:Metal in good.
Siding Material/Condition:Wood in fair.
Heat Traps:Yes, six foot crawl space below deck.
Foundation Type/Material/Condition:None.
Windows:Yes, glass. / Type:
Overhead Lines:None.
Underground Lines:Propane and water lines under deck, but above ground.
Fuel Storage (type/quantity/lines/shutoff):Propane and gas stored under kitchen building.
Outside Combustibles (firewood/deck/fences/etc.):Deck with lattice in front, four wood piles behind kitchen.
Hazardous Materials:Propane and gas storage below deck.
Septic Tank Location:Outhouse with composting toilet.
Working Space-Minimum Clearance Guide:None
Photos Taken:35-40
Other:
Owner and Contact #’s:Jack Smith 208-865-2372 cell 208-709-4337 Mike Mclain (neighbor) 208-865-2375.

Attach a supplies list of critical equipment needed.

Attach a map of the site showing water sources, shutoffs, buildings, etc.

Completed by: Unaweep FUM

Date: 8-11-05

Sketch a map of this site and the surrounding area HERE. Be sure to include locations of important items: buildings, shutoffs, water sources, etc.

KEY/LEGEND NORTH

X - Sprinklers

O – Wood Piles