Sawtooth Stage 1 Evacuation Lifted at 4 p.m. Monday

The Stage 1 Evacuation Warning on the Sawtooth Forest Fire will be lifted as of 4 p.m. today, September 24.

The fire management, local fire departments and US Forest Service made the decision based on cooler weather, increased cloud cover and higher humidity.

The fire still has hot spots in the Sawtooth Canyon, but all evacuation alerts for the neighborhood around the fire will be lifted at 4 p.m.

There are trail closures, however. Sawtooth Creek Trail, Roaring Lion Trail and Canyon Creek Trail are closed due to fire activity.

Smoke

Air quality remains unhealthy in the Bitterroot Valley. Blame it on the Idaho and Washington fires, where the prevailing winds are sending the smoke to our valley.

Because of that, the Corvallis-Hamilton freshman/sophomore football game was cancelled Monday. The Corvallis-Hamilton JV soccer game scheduled for Wednesday has been cancelled due to lack of players.

To get an idea of the smoke situ

ation, NASA has released some photos of the forest fires. The one we present today is from early last week, but it gives you a good idea of the general location of each of  these massive fires.

Back to the Sawtooth Fire, crews are continuing helicopter bucket drops on hot spots, and the growth in the 5,962 acre fire has been to the west into the wilderness.

Dozer and fire lines are being rehabilitated.

A look from space last week of the nearby forest fires...and their smoke. Photo from September 17. (NASA)