The Pioneer Fire located 8 miles north of Idaho City has grown to 12,869 acres and is 35% contained. Fire behavior activity has increased especially on the northeastern and eastern sides. High temperatures, predominant west winds, and unstable air conditions have contributed to fire growth. Above seasonal temperatures along with humidity in the teens will continue as a ridge of high pressure remains over the area. This coming weekend (July 30-31) will see a threat of dry thunderstorms over the fire area and the possibility of lightning strikes. The fuel contributing to the blaze is mostly timber with grass and understory as well. Firefighters are making progress on large sections of the southern, southwestern, and western areas which are in mop-up status and are being monitored. Protection of the Elk Creek Watershed, the water source for the community of Idaho City, remains a high priority.
NASA’s Suomi NPP satellite collected this natural-color image using the VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) instrument on July 27, 2016. Actively burning areas, detected by MODIS’s thermal bands, are outlined in red. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz LANCE/EOSDIS MODIS Rapid Response Team, GSFC. Caption by Lynn Jenner
Suomi NPP is managed by NASA, NOAA and the U.S. Department of Defense.