The smoke has lifted, all residents are back in their homes, and all but 200 fire personnel have left the Wood River Valley. Yet the fight against the Castle Rock Fire is nowhere near finished.Welcome to the mop up phase. Following Incident Commander Jeanne Pincha-Tulley’s departure, a type 2 team stepped in to run things. This team will be downgraded to a more localized, type 3 team on Friday, September 14th.As the fire winds down, the Burn Area Emergency Response team, or BAER will monitor the recovery effort. Their job is to evaluate the areas that have been burned and devise a comprehensive plan for rehabilitation and restoration, considering all aspects from wildlife to hydrology.Currently, the biggest danger for the Wood River Valley is flooding and mudslides. The baren hills leave plenty of open space for debris, mud and water to race down. Already this has happened in Frenchman’s Bend. As a result, many hiking trails have been temporarily closed and some will remain so throughout the fall.However, with Sun Valley full of people who are dedicated to restoring our trails and wildlife, things will return to normal before we can say "fire in the hole".To view Plum’s complete fire footage click here.
Photo Gallery
Add your comments...