Fire threatens Tamarack, ID again ...

[snowave]

For the 3rd time since I've lived here, a fire is threatening the resort. A lone thunderstorm started multiple fires just south of the resort last night (less than 1 mile from the top of summit chair). Winds are strong today, up to 30 mph. It's not looking good. It's been a very light fire season around here, until now.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

Here's a potentially dumb question from someone who doesn't live in fire country (however, we're increasingly getting your smoke 1,500 - 2,000 miles to the east!).

During the LA mess, there was quite a bit of handwringing about the 1% hiring private firefighters to protect their gilded property. What's stopping a ski resort from doing something like that, other than if it's financially out of the question? Would their insurance cover it?

 

[EMSC]

What's stopping a ski resort from doing something like that, other than if it's financially out of the question? Would their insurance cover it?

Their insurance might try to help some, but it's unrealistic for the most part. You have an entire cities worth of infrastructure scattered all across the mountain in typically rather rugged terrain. It's far too much to try to protect the whole place with a small crew which is what insurance companies have available for the 1%. Wonder if Tamarack has permission/access to pull lake water in the summer through the snowmaking system to try to help create fire break(s) and protect the most critical stuff.

 

[MarzNC]

Blue Mountain in eastern PA supported the fight against a fire last fall. Not so much with people, but with access to water for the firefighter use. Obviously very different scale compared to western wild fires in heavily forested areas.

November 2024

Blue Mountain Resort Assists Crews Fighting Nearby Wildfire

SAM Magazine—Palmerton, Pa., Nov. 7, 2024—A brush fire has burned several hundred acres near Blue Mountain Resort, Pa., this week. The resort has supported

www.saminfo.com

 

[Tony Crocker]

Wonder if Tamarack has permission/access to pull lake water in the summer through the snowmaking system to try to help create fire break(s) and protect the most critical stuff.

I would not assume that Tamarack has a pipe into the lake to feed its snowmaking like Big Bear. It probably gets snowmaking water from wells like Mt. High. Nonetheless Mt. High's snowmaking guns were used during last September's Bridge Fire. I know Sun Valley's were also used a few years back. I'm guessing Tamarack's snowmaking water capacity is less than any of the above areas.

 

[MarzNC]

August 13, 2025

Wildfires erupt near Tamarack Resort after Tuesday night storm - Valley Lookout

White flakes gently fluttered through the air on Wednesday afternoon at Tamarack Resort as a chorus of engines buzzed out of sight up the mountain. Most winter days at Tamarack sound something like this, but on Wednesday, it was ash falling—not snow—and the droning engines belonged to chainsaws...

valleylookout.com

". . .

Overnight response​

The fires were reported shortly after 10 p.m. on Tuesday, at which point Williamson said firefighters were immediately deployed.

“We had crews on it all night and there’ll be continual coverage fighting this fire,” he said.

Williamson does not have exact numbers, but estimated about 100 personnel are currently battling the fire, including a fleet of nearly 20 airplanes and helicopters. No containment has been achieved so far.
. . .

The resort also turned on snowmaking guns to wet vegetation in the base area and reduce the risk of ignition. It is currently asking guests not to visit the resort.
. . ."

 

[MarzNC]

I would not assume that Tamarack has a pipe into the lake to feed its snowmaking like Big Bear. It probably gets snowmaking water from wells . . .

Correct.

It would be pretty expensive to build a pipeline from the lake for snowmaking at Tamarack. It's not that close.

Back in the early stages of the development of Tamarack, the locals seemed pretty intrigued with the idea of having snowmaking infrastructure given the amount of natural snowfall. The current resort has far more than a dozen snowguns as of 2025, mainly on the lower mountain. There are fixed snowguns on key groomers.

December 2016

https://www.idahostatesman.com/outdoors/recreation/article120510018.html

[end of article]

 

[EMSC]

It would be pretty expensive to build a pipeline from the lake for snowmaking at Tamarack. It's not that close.

?? It's less than 2/3 of a mile to the lake edge from the lift. That's quite short in the scheme of pipelines. But it sounds like they have no water rights for any water that is in the lake and thus have to pump it from a well.

Many ski areas have much, much longer pipelines to their water sources. Even my home Eldora has a roughly 3/4 mile long pipeline from it's main reservoir to the pump house at the base near the IP lodge.

 

[snowave]

Here's a potentially dumb question from someone who doesn't live in fire country (however, we're increasingly getting your smoke 1,500 - 2,000 miles to the east!).

FWIW, the smoke you're getting is entirely from Canada, not the western US. The same goes for last year.

The fire looks slightly better this evening, but it has burned over 1600 acres today. I have been kinda busy today, so I haven't heard any details on if it's entered the Tamarack area. The latest Cam shows it still burning very close to the south. I'd be willing to bet that at least some areas near the Bliss Run (and points south) have burned.

The second image is thermal (heat) signature from satellites. Sometimes these can be a bit off, which I'm hoping this is... because if not, then the first has likely burned over several runs on the south end of the resort. (you'll have to zoom in and enlarge to see the ski runs and lift labled).

 

[MarzNC]

?? It's less than 2/3 of a mile to the lake edge from the lift. That's quite short in the scheme of pipelines. But it sounds like they have no water rights for any water that is in the lake and thus have to pump it from a well.

Many ski areas have much, much longer pipelines to their water sources. Even my home Eldora has a roughly 3/4 mile long pipeline from it's main reservoir to the pump house at the base near the IP lodge.

Sorry, I was remembering stuff wrong.

My home hill in northern VA built a 2 mile pipeline several years ago from the valley up the mountain. Serves the slopes in the winter and the mountain golf course in the summer. The stream on the mountain tougher with one small snowmaking pond wasn't enough. Of course, even though there is just under 100 skiable acres, there is 100% snowmaking all season long (early December thru mid-March). The amount of money that had to be spent on upgrade pump to allow multiple trails on the upper mountain to be blowing at the same time was significant. Completely different situation than out west where water for snowmaking is relatively scarce and there is usually plenty of natural snow.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

FWIW, the smoke you're getting is entirely from Canada, not the western US. The same goes for last year.

Western smoke is western smoke.

 

[Tony Crocker]

Western smoke is western smoke.

Most if the fires are in Manitoba and Saskatchewan per this map. I'd call that Midwest.

key runs like Waltz, Showtime, Homestead and Discovery.

All green runs on the lower half of the mountain. Brundage, which has a higher base elevation, has minimal snowmaking.

water rights

are what matter in the West. Bogus Basin concluded that it really couldn't get enough water to make a significant impact upon its skiing, and so takes its lumps in low snow years. The biggest snowmaking operations in the West only cover about 700 acres. Sun Valley is one of those, so their system helped vs. the Castle Rock Fire in 2007.