# ![](media/image1.png){width="6.499305555555556in" height="0.7180555555555556in"}

![](media/image2.png){width="0.7493055555555556in"
height="0.6861111111111111in"}
![](media/image3.png){width="0.7076388888888889in"
height="0.7486111111111111in"}
![](media/image4.png){width="0.5451388888888888in"
height="0.6756944444444445in"}
![](media/image5.png){width="0.7506944444444444in"
height="0.7513888888888889in"}
![](media/image6.jpeg){width="0.7909722222222222in" height="0.75in"}

# Eastern Idaho Interagency Fire Center

######### 2005 Annual Report

This report provides documentation of the 2005 Fire Season on public
lands in Eastern Idaho, Western Wyoming, and Northern Utah administered
by the Caribou-Targhee National Forest United States Forest Service and
the Idaho Falls District of the Bureau of Land Management. Also included
is information pertaining to fires on State of Idaho lands, private,
Department of Energy, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Indian
Affairs (BIA) / tribal lands in which federal action was taken through
cooperative agreements.

> Prepared by: [/s/ Kai
> Olsen]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
>
> Kai Olsen
>
> Assistant Center Manager- Intelligence

Reviewed by: [/s/ Kathy
Pipkin]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Kathy Pipkin

EIIFC Center Manager

> Approved by: [/s/ Rick
> Belger]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
>
> Rick Belger
>
> Idaho Falls District BLM FMO
>
> Approved by: [/s/ Chris
> Ourada]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
>
> Chris Ourada
>
> Caribou-Targhee NF Forest FMO

**2005 Fire Statistics Summary**

The 2005 fire season was a below average year for numbers of fires. Fire
season began on April 15^th^ with an assist to Fremont County, and ended
on Oct 12^th^ with the Cave fire. Human caused fires comprised 53% of
the total, while lightning caused fires were 47% of the total fires.
Fifty seven percent of the fires that Eastern Idaho Fire Center (EIIFC)
units responded to started on USFS or BLM land, while 43% of the total
fires were responded to because of cooperative agreements with county,
state, or other federal agencies.

Eastern Idaho Interagency Fire Center:

  ------------- -------------- ---------------------- --------------------
                2005           5 year Average         10 year average\*

  Fires         114            152                    156

  Acres         45,714         24,464                 90,321
  ------------- -------------- ---------------------- --------------------

Caribou-Targhee National Forest:

  ------------- -------------- ---------------------- --------------------
                2005           5 year Average         10 year average

  Fires         39             65                     64

  Acres         2,780          1,734                  3,309
  ------------- -------------- ---------------------- --------------------

Idaho Falls District Bureau of Land Management:

  ------------- -------------- ---------------------- --------------------
                2005           5 year Average         10 year average\*

  Fires         26             43                     87

  Acres         19,845         13,617                 84,665
  ------------- -------------- ---------------------- --------------------

\* These ten year averages are best estimates as boundaries for
reporting units have changed within the time period.

**Summary of land acres with fire protection by agency:**

  ------------------- ------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- --------- --------- --------- ------------ -----------
                      **Protected                                                                                  
                      Land Acres by                                                                                
                      Agency**                                                                                     

  **Protecting        **BLM**       **USFS**    **State**   **USFWS**   **BOR**   **DOD**   **BIA**   **Forested   **Total**
  Agency**                                                                                            Private**    

  **Caribou-Targhee                 2,882,265   43,026                                                16,168       2,941,459
  NF USFS**                                                                                                        

  **Idaho Falls       2,422,184                 627,862                 3,037     1,084     347,898   155,941      3,558,006
  District BLM**                                                                                                   

  **Gray's Lake                                             66,189                                                 66,189
  USFWS**                                                                                                          

  **EIIFC Total**     2,422,184     2,882,265   670,888     66,189      3,037     1,084     347,898   172,109      6,565,654
  ------------------- ------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- --------- --------- --------- ------------ -----------

**2005** YEAR TO DATE TOTALS:

+---------+------+-------+--------+--------+-----+-----+-----+-------+
| **Owne  | **H  | **    | **Lig  | ####   | #   | #   | ### | **    |
| rship** | uman | Human | htning | ## Lig | ### | ### | ### | Total |
|         | Fir  | Ac    | F      | htning | ##  | ##  |  To | Ac    |
|         | es** | res** | ires** |  Acres | WFU | WFU | tal | res** |
|         |      |       |        |        |  Fi |  Ac |  Fi |       |
|         |      |       |        |        | res | res | res |       |
+---------+------+-------+--------+--------+-----+-----+-----+-------+
| BLM     | 13   | 1     | 13     | 3,206  | 0   | 0   | 26  | 1     |
|         |      | 6,640 |        |        |     |     |     | 9,845 |
+---------+------+-------+--------+--------+-----+-----+-----+-------+
| CTF     | 15   | 647   | 14     | 17     | 10  | 2,  | 39  | 2,780 |
|         |      |       |        |        |     | 117 |     |       |
+---------+------+-------+--------+--------+-----+-----+-----+-------+
| Fort    | 7    | 6,272 | 11     | 10,688 | 0   | 0   | 18  | 1     |
| Hall    |      |       |        |        |     |     |     | 6,960 |
| BIA     |      |       |        |        |     |     |     |       |
+---------+------+-------+--------+--------+-----+-----+-----+-------+
| Private | 24   | 4,505 | 6      | 183    | 0   | 0   | 30  | 4,688 |
+---------+------+-------+--------+--------+-----+-----+-----+-------+
| E.      | 0    | 1,439 | 0      | 0      | 0   | 0   | 0   | 1,439 |
| Idaho   |      |       |        |        |     |     |     |       |
| State   |      |       |        |        |     |     |     |       |
+---------+------+-------+--------+--------+-----+-----+-----+-------+
| FWS     | 0    | 0     | 0      | 0      | 0   | 0   | 0   | 0     |
+---------+------+-------+--------+--------+-----+-----+-----+-------+
| INEEL   | 1    | 2     | 0      | 0      | 0   | 0   | 1   | 2     |
+---------+------+-------+--------+--------+-----+-----+-----+-------+
| Total   | 60   | 2     | 44     | 14,093 | 10  | 2,  | 114 | 4     |
|         |      | 9,504 |        |        |     | 117 |     | 5,714 |
+---------+------+-------+--------+--------+-----+-----+-----+-------+

\*Note: Fires and acres reported above include all fires and acres on
agency owned and protected lands. Also included are county assists which
EIIFC fire units responded to. For statistical purposes only, fires have
been assigned to the ownership that the fire started on and acreages to
the ownership that burned.

\*\*EIIFC Initial Attack resources also responded to 71 false alarms in
2005.

**[WFU Activity]{.underline}**

Ten wildfire use events were managed on the Caribou-Targhee NF in 2005.
Significant WFU events included:

The Big Dry Canyon wildfire use event (WFU) started on July 26^th^ and
burned through the remainder of the fire season. The fire started one
mile northwest of Upper Palisades Lake and eventually spread from
Chicken Springs Canyon and Palisades Creek on the south to beyond
Thompson Peak on the north. A mosaic of fuels were treated from bug
killed Douglas Fir, Sup-Alpine Fire, and Spruce to brush and fine fuels
of the understory. The incident grew to 2,098 acres, becoming the
Caribou-Targhee NF's largest wildfire use event.

The Bear WFU started on July 27^th^ and burned on and off for 20 days
four miles west of Palisades Reservoir near Poison Creek. The fire
primarily burned through a large grass and sage flat near the top of the
ridge. Precipitation received on Aug 16 limited the fire's growth to 17
acres.

The Fox Creek WFU started on August 15^th^ near the Fox Creek Quarry on
the Teton Basin RD. The fire burned ¼ acre in the first couple burning
periods in fairly dense and heavy fuels. Green fuels and a heavy
precipitation event contained the fire with no additional spread.

The Powder Peak WFU started on September 3^rd^ near Powder Peak on the
south end of Palisades RD. The fire burned in light fuels on a ridge top
for a week before it burned out at .75 acres.

##### Local Large Fire Activity

+---------------+--------------------+----------+--------+------------+
| ***Ju         | ***Fire Name***    | ######   | ###    | *          |
| risdiction*** |                    | # *Date* | #### * | **Cause*** |
|               |                    |          | Acres* |            |
+===============+====================+==========+========+============+
| ID-CTF        | ###                | Jul 26   | 2098   | Lightning  |
|               | Big Dry Canyon WFU |          |        |            |
| Palisades RD  |                    |          |        |            |
+---------------+--------------------+----------+--------+------------+
| ID-EICI       | ### Tim            | Aug 23   | 827    | Human      |
|               |                    |          |        |            |
| Clark Co.     |                    |          |        |            |
+---------------+--------------------+----------+--------+------------+
| ID-IFD        | ### Juniper        | Sep 4    | 3,106  | Lightning  |
|               |                    |          |        |            |
| Pocatello FO  |                    |          |        |            |
+---------------+--------------------+----------+--------+------------+
| ID-FHA        | ### Sawmill        | Sep 4    | 8,282  | Lightning  |
|               |                    |          |        |            |
| Fort Hall     |                    |          |        |            |
+---------------+--------------------+----------+--------+------------+
| ID-FHA        | ### Rattlesnake    | Sep 4    | 10,731 | Human      |
|               |                    |          |        |            |
| Fort Hall     |                    |          |        |            |
+---------------+--------------------+----------+--------+------------+
| ID-FHA        | ### Diversion      | Sep 9    | 1834   | Lightning  |
|               |                    |          |        |            |
| Fort Hall     |                    |          |        |            |
+---------------+--------------------+----------+--------+------------+
| ID-EICI       | ### Round Butte    | Sep 17   | 16,892 | Human      |
|               |                    |          |        |            |
| Bingham Co.   |                    |          |        |            |
+---------------+--------------------+----------+--------+------------+

The Idaho Falls District, BLM hosted Tom Suwyn's Type 2 IMT for six days
starting September 6^th^ to manage the Fort Hall Complex which consisted
of the Rattlesnake and Sawmill fires.

**Resources filled by out of area units that were assigned to EIIFC
large fires:**

Aircraft: 54

Crews: 23

Equipment: 37

Overhead: 159

**[Prescribed Fire Accomplishments]{.underline}**

Significant fuel treatments were accomplished by the federal land
management agencies in Southeast Idaho. The largest of these included:
Fox Flat, Bomb Cache, Mink Creek and Spring Hills on the Caribou-Targhee
NF, and Eastside Sheep Trail, Webb, and Klempel on the Idaho Falls
District BLM, and Spring Pond on the Camas National Wildlife Refuge.

  -------------------------------- ---------------- ---------------------
  Reporting Unit                   Prescribed Fires Acres Accomplished

  Caribou-Targhee NF               11               754

  Idaho Falls District BLM         8                3,387

  Southeast Idaho Refuges USFWS    4                174

  Fort Hall BIA                    2                15
  -------------------------------- ---------------- ---------------------

**Mobilization of Resources Summary**

Overhead, Crews, Equipment, and Aircraft were dispatched to local fires
in Eastern Idaho as well as incidents throughout the continental United
States. In addition to wildfires, resources were mobilized to other "all
risk" incidents including: Southeast US hurricanes, Prevention Teams,
law enforcement incidents, Burned Area Environmental Recovery (BAER)
assignments, Wildfire Use incidents, and prescribed fires.

**Overhead:**

Individual overhead were mobilized from: all the districts of the
Caribou-Targhee NF, the Idaho Falls and Pocatello resource areas of the
Idaho Falls District BLM, Grays Lake NWR, and Idaho State Department of
Lands.

Thirty-one employees from the Caribou-Targhee NF, Idaho Falls District
BLM and Idaho State Department of Lands filled positions on Type 1 and
Type 2 Incident Management Teams, Fire Use Management Teams, and Buying
Teams from the Northern Rockies, Pacific Northwest, and Eastern Great
Basin. Personnel worked on ten such teams in the following NWCG
positions:

AOBD FACL RCDM(T)

ATGS FDUL RESL

BUYL GSUL SCKN

BUYM ICT2(T) SITL

COML LSC2 SOF2

DIVS OSC1 SOF3(T)

DIVS(T) OSC2 SUPL

**Overhead Cont.**

Overhead out of area orders filled by Caribou-Targhee NF:

Fire funded employees: 73

Non-fire employees: 80

CTF sponsored ADs: 27

Overhead out of area orders filled by Idaho Falls District BLM:

Fire funded employees: 34

Non-fire employees: 5

IFD sponsored ADs: 21

Overhead out of area orders filled by Gray's Lake NWR: 3

Overhead out of area orders filled by Idaho Department of Lands: 13

\*\*\*Overhead out of area orders include only single resources and team
members. Engine and Crew members are not included.\*\*\*

**Equipment:**

A summary of the Initial Attack equipment dispatched to local and out of
area incidents from Eastern Idaho Interagency Fire Center:

  ----------------------- ----------------------- -----------------------
  ***Agency***            ***Equipment Type***    ***Quantity***

  Idaho Falls District    Engines -- Type 4       10
  BLM                                             

                          Engines -- Type 6       5

                          Dozers -- Type 2        2

                          Water Tenders -- Type 2 2

  Caribou-Targhee NF      Engines -- Type 6       14

                          Dozers -- Type 2        1

                          Water Tenders -- Type 2 1

  Gray's Lake NWR         Engine -- Type 5        1
  ----------------------- ----------------------- -----------------------

Engine orders for out of area incidents filled by Caribou-Targhee NF: 32

Engine orders for out of area incidents filled by Idaho Falls District
BLM: 52

Engine orders for out of area incidents filled by Gray's Lake NWR: 4

Engine orders for out of area incidents filled by contractors: 10

Other equipment orders for out of area incidents filled: 12

**Crews:**

The crews which responded to incidents from the Eastern Idaho
Interagency Fire Center include:

+----------------------+------------+------------------+--------------+
| ***Agency***         | ***Crew    | ***Crew Name***  | ***Out of    |
|                      | Type***    |                  | Area Orders  |
|                      |            |                  | Filled***    |
+----------------------+------------+------------------+--------------+
| Idaho Falls District | Type 1 --  | Snake River Hot  | 15           |
| BLM                  | IHC        | Shots            |              |
+----------------------+------------+------------------+--------------+
| Caribou-Targhee NF   | Type 2 --  | Centennials      | 14           |
|                      | IA         |                  |              |
+----------------------+------------+------------------+--------------+
| Caribou-Targhee NF,  | Type 2 --  | TRC (Targhee     | 8            |
| Idaho Falls District | IA         | Regular Crew)    |              |
| BLM, Idaho State     |            |                  |              |
| Department of Lands. |            |                  |              |
+----------------------+------------+------------------+--------------+
| Ferguson Management  | Type 2 --  | NCC 18A          | 6            |
| (pvt) /              | IA         |                  |              |
| Caribou-Targhee NF   |            |                  |              |
+----------------------+------------+------------------+--------------+
| Ferguson Management  | Type 2 --  | NCC 18B          | 7            |
| (pvt) /              | IA         |                  |              |
| Caribou-Targhee NF   |            |                  |              |
+----------------------+------------+------------------+--------------+
| Idaho State Dept of  | Type 2     | Blazers          | 8            |
| Corrections /        |            |                  |              |
| Caribou-Targhee NF   |            |                  |              |
+----------------------+------------+------------------+--------------+
| Idaho State Dept of  | Type 2     | Heat Seekers     | 5            |
| Corrections /        |            |                  |              |
| Caribou-Targhee NF   |            |                  |              |
+----------------------+------------+------------------+--------------+
| Fort Hall Agency BIA | Type 2     | Shoban #1        | 2            |
| / Idaho Falls        |            |                  |              |
| District BLM         |            |                  |              |
+----------------------+------------+------------------+--------------+
| Caribou-Targhee NF   | Camp Crew  | Caribou #1       | 3            |
+----------------------+------------+------------------+--------------+
| Caribou-Targhee NF   | Camp Crew  | Caribou #2       | 2            |
+----------------------+------------+------------------+--------------+
| Idaho State Dept of  | Camp Crew  | SAWC #1          | 1            |
| Corrections /        |            |                  |              |
| Caribou-Targhee NF   |            | (St. Anthony     |              |
|                      |            | Work Camp)       |              |
+----------------------+------------+------------------+--------------+
| Fort Hall Agency BIA | Camp Crew  | Shoban #1        | 3            |
| / Idaho Falls        |            |                  |              |
| District BLM         |            |                  |              |
+----------------------+------------+------------------+--------------+

### Aircraft Summary:

The Pocatello Air Attack Base conducted operations supporting 77
incidents using a total of eight heavy airtankers, five different SEATs
(single engine airtanker), four ATGS platforms and eleven helicopters.
The jumpbase in Pocatello was also activated this year, supporting four
incidents. Four hundred and sixty-nine total sorties were flown out of
Pocatello, 112 heavy airtanker sorties and 225 SEAT sorties. EIIFC also
initiated the use of MAFFS on one incident. The base pumped 407,965
gallons of retardant, with the 10 year average being 676,650 gallons.
There were three incidents that required temporary flight restrictions
(TFR's) Rattlesnake, Sawmill, and Round Butte. Our largest incident of
the year was the Ft. Hall complex that had 20 aircraft, used 300,547
gallons of retardant and was \$1,118,464.00 in aircraft cost.

Statistical Summary of Fixed Wing Aircraft assigned to EIIFC

+-------+---------------+-------+--------+----------+----------------+
| ***A  | ***Aircraft   | ***F  | ***\#  | **       | ***Total       |
| ircra | Model***      | light | of     | *Gallons | Cost***        |
| ft*** |               | Hou   | Incide | of       |                |
|       |               | rs*** | nts*** | R        |                |
|       |               |       |        | etardant |                |
|       |               |       |        | Deli     |                |
|       |               |       |        | vered*** |                |
+-------+---------------+-------+--------+----------+----------------+
| T-    | Air Tractor   | 1     | 33     | 114,287  | \$355,466.00   |
| 458\* | 802A          | 05.43 |        |          |                |
+-------+---------------+-------+--------+----------+----------------+
| 9GW\* | Aero          | 2     | 53     | N/A      | \$231,773.00   |
|       | Commander     | 86.41 |        |          |                |
|       | 500S          |       |        |          |                |
+-------+---------------+-------+--------+----------+----------------+
| T-48  | Air Tractor   | 66.74 | 19     | 72,562   | \$317,418.00   |
| 8\*\* | 802A          |       |        |          |                |
+-------+---------------+-------+--------+----------+----------------+
| 96N   | Aero          | 26.4  | 2      | N/A      | \$16,795.00    |
|       | Commander     |       |        |          |                |
|       |               |       |        |          |                |
|       | 500S          |       |        |          |                |
+-------+---------------+-------+--------+----------+----------------+
| 7AB   | Beechcraft    | 32.27 | 2      | N/A      | \$26,674.00    |
|       | Baron 55      |       |        |          |                |
+-------+---------------+-------+--------+----------+----------------+
| Lead  | King Air 90   | 6.2   |        | N/A      | \$3,875.00     |
| B7    |               |       |        |          |                |
+-------+---------------+-------+--------+----------+----------------+
| Lead  | King Air 90C  | 10.4  |        | N/A      | \$7,800.00     |
| 47    |               |       |        |          |                |
+-------+---------------+-------+--------+----------+----------------+
| Lead  | King Air 90   | 4.4   | 2      | N/A      | \$3,300.00     |
| 21    |               |       |        |          |                |
+-------+---------------+-------+--------+----------+----------------+
| Lead  | King Air 90   | 11.12 | 2      | N/A      | \$8,896.00     |
| 67/69 |               |       |        |          |                |
+-------+---------------+-------+--------+----------+----------------+
| Lead  | Aero          | 15.7  | 2      | N/A      | \$12,553.00    |
| 56    | Commander 500 |       |        |          |                |
+-------+---------------+-------+--------+----------+----------------+

\*fixed wing exclusive use contracts are administered by the IFD BLM

\*\*BLM severity

All other resources were assigned to the Ft. Hall complex

Statistical Summary of Helicopters assigned to EIIFC

  ---------------- ------------- ----------- -------------- -------------- ------------ --------------
  ***Aircraft***   ***Aircraft   ***Flight   ***\# of       ***Gallons of  ***\# of     ***Cost***
                   Model***      Hours***    Incidents***   Water          Rappels***   
                                                            Delivered***                

  67H\*            Bell 206 L4   193.3       21             82,564         8            \$ 408,508.00

  ALG\*            Bell 407      55.6        6              38,872         8            \$ 223,843.00

  133\*\*          UH-1H         25.9        7                             N/A          \$180,834.00

  23PB\*\*         UH-1H         16          0                             N/A          \$ 37,164.00

                                                                                        

                                                                                        
  ---------------- ------------- ----------- -------------- -------------- ------------ --------------

\*helicopter exclusive use contracts are administered by the
Caribou-Targhee NF

\*\*BLM severity

All others were assigned to the Ft. Hall complex

The aviation program on the EIIFC experienced no accidents.

Six SAFECOMs were submitted. The nature of the SAFECOMs was as follows:
three of the SAFECOMs concerned maintenance issues and three were
submitted due to communications (frequency management) issues.

**Eastern Idaho Interagency Fire Center**

**IA Dispatch**

The Initial Attack Dispatch office was staffed this year with six
permanent employees, two seasonal employees, and two detailers.
Additionally, thirteen regular employees from the Caribou-Targhee NF and
Idaho Falls District BLM augmented the IA staff on an on call basis. The
IA Dispatch office was staffed continuously through the season.
Thirty-four days of the season EIIFC were staffed 24 hours.

Sixty-five days in 2005 experienced new fires.

The three busiest days of the season were:

September 9^th^ with 9 fires

September 4^th^ with 7 fires (also the day the Fort Hall Complex
started)

July 7^th^ with 5 fires

**Expanded Dispatch**

All three local Expanded Dispatch Teams -- Pipes, Adams, and Mathews
were activated to support the Fort Hall Complex.

**Intelligence**

Fire danger rating, energy release component, burning index and 1300
precipitation were made available to all employees daily on the EIIFC
Update. This information was also made available on the EIIFC website to
employees, cooperators and the general public. The forecasted and actual
Burning Indexes and ERCs for Moody and Crystal RAWS were given with the
morning and afternoon weather broadcasts to all field units for use with
current pocket cards. All initial attack resources were required to
acknowledge the receipt of this information.

**Precipitation Summary**

The 2005 fire season followed 2004 in being a very wet with all the RAWS
stations reporting well above the five year averages. The five year
averages have also risen significantly as two of the last five years
have been marked by abundant precipitation.

  ------------------ ----------------- -------------------- -------------------
  **Weather          **May-Oct Precip  **May-Oct Precip     **5 year average**
  Station**          2005**            2004**               

                                                            

  **Arco**           **5.41**          **6.59**             **3.72**

  **Bull Canyon**    **14.09**         **10.90**            **7.68**

  **Coyote Meadows** **16.86**         **7.88 (Jul-Oct)**   

  **Crystal**        **5.99**          **5.26**             **3.31**

  **Diamond Flat**   **13.95**         **13.80(Jun-Oct)**   **7.84(Jun-Oct)**

  **Flint Creek**    **9.01**          **11.9**             **6.41**

  **Gas Caves**      **9.35**          **10.0**             **6.27**

  **Grace**          **12.14**         **9.93**             **7.26**

  **Island Park**    **9.25**          **12.50**            **7.24**

  **Moody**          **16.20**         **11.80**            **8.24**

  **Mulkey Bar**     **7.09**          **6.47**             **4.40**

  **Pine Creek       **16.34\*\*\***   **8.73(Jun-Oct)**    **9.97\***
  Pass**                                                    

  **Pole Canyon**    **11.79**         **11.20**            **7.07**

  **Scout Mountain** **12.96**         **7.13(Jul-Oct)**    

  **Three Mile**     **15.57**         **14.10**            **9.92\*\***

  **Wayan**          **9.87**          **12.78**            
  ------------------ ----------------- -------------------- -------------------

> **\*Pine Creek Pass average is for 3 years**
>
> **\*\*Three Mile average is for 4 years**
>
> **\*\*Pine Creek Pass '05 missing observations Jun 15 -- July 15
> 2005**