Emergency Service
Fire Threatens Sawtooth Hatchery
July 23, 2013 
Idaho Fish and Game employees and local firefighters fended off a wildfire in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area Monday evening which threatened the F&G salmon hatchery.
The fire started Monday afternoon about a mile north of the Sawtooth Fish Hatchery near Stanley. As the fire approached the staff dormitory, hatchery crews and firefighters mobilized to protect the dormitory, using a trash pump to water down the area. The Stanley Fire Department was on the hatchery site Monday night for support and structure protection.
The fire moved past the dormitory, burning a stand of trees between the dorm and the nearest residences on the site.
Firefighting helicopters equipped with water buckets dipped water out of the Salmon River near the hatchery weir making several drops near one of the residences. The water drops stopped the fire within about 50 feet of the residence.
Flames within the Sawtooth Fish Hatchery grounds Monday.
Brent Snider, hatchery manager, said the fire burned some informational signs and about 400 feet of fence, but no hatchery structures were damaged.
Resident staffers were evacuated and hatchery crews prepared for an immediate evacuation of surrounding residences. Containment efforts were successful, and the evacuation orders were lifted by early evening; residents have been allowed back into dormitory housing.
Only signs and fence were damaged when fire swept through F&G Sawtooth Hatchery. PHOTOS COURTESY IDAHO FISH AND GAME
There were no retardant drops around the Salmon river water supply and no problems with the fish aside from some ash on the water. There were no immediate adverse effects on production fish or the adult brood fish. The hatchery raises Chinook and sockeye salmon.
OTHER FIRE NEWS:
The Pine Creek fire above Boise is 90% contained at 2800 acres. The Summit fire is 93% contained at about 300 acres north of Lowman.
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Comments & Discussion
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Jul 23, 2013, 6:00 pm
On Monday I flew from Chicago to Boise and flew directly over Yellowstone and Sun Valley. To the south there was quite a bit of smoke, but sitting on the left side of the plane I couldn’t see the Stanley area.
Jul 27, 2013, 10:49 pm
It’s no wonder the Stanley Basin hasn’t all burned up yet-with all the diseased trees there.