08-15-2012, 07:12 PM
SALMON -- An estimated 200 rafters were stranded Tuesday after wildfires forced the closure of the only road available to return them to civilization once they've ended [url "http://www.mountainbuzz.com/forums/#"]trips[/url] on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River.
Officials with the Salmon-Challis National Forest closed portions of Salmon River Road on Monday, then closed it entirely Monday night after the Mustang Complex fires tripled in size, sending rocks, burned trees and debris tumbling down onto the road.
Several of the fires in what once was an eight-fire complex have burned together and merged, officials said.
Government crews worked Tuesday to remove the debris and reopen the road, U.S.
Forest Service spokeswoman Karen Dunlap said. The goal was to reopen Salmon River Road sometime this morning, she said.
In the interim, an estimated 200 people were left without a way to return to their vehicles, many of which were parked in Salmon. The rafters were forced to [url "http://www.mountainbuzz.com/forums/#"]camp[/url] at Cache Bar, the chief take-out point for Middle Fork boaters.
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Officials with the Salmon-Challis National Forest closed portions of Salmon River Road on Monday, then closed it entirely Monday night after the Mustang Complex fires tripled in size, sending rocks, burned trees and debris tumbling down onto the road.
Several of the fires in what once was an eight-fire complex have burned together and merged, officials said.
Government crews worked Tuesday to remove the debris and reopen the road, U.S.
Forest Service spokeswoman Karen Dunlap said. The goal was to reopen Salmon River Road sometime this morning, she said.
In the interim, an estimated 200 people were left without a way to return to their vehicles, many of which were parked in Salmon. The rafters were forced to [url "http://www.mountainbuzz.com/forums/#"]camp[/url] at Cache Bar, the chief take-out point for Middle Fork boaters.
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