Incident Publication

Pursuant to Title 36 CFR 261.50(a) [and/or (b)], the prohibition listed in Order number 01-17-01-24-001 applicable to the Salmon and Red River Ranger Districts, dated August 30, 2024, and signed by Molly Ryan is hereby terminated.
 

Done at Kamiah, Idaho, this 18th day of September 2024.
___________________________
Molly Ryan
Acting Forest Supervisor
Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests

Pursuant to Title 36 CFR 261.50(a) [and/or (b)], the prohibition listed in the following Orders applicable to the Red River Ranger District, dated August 21, 2024, and August 30, 2024, signed by Molly Ryan are hereby terminated.

• 01-17-05-24-001 Cracker Jack
• 01-17-05-24-002 233 Road

Done at Kamiah, Idaho, this 18th day of September 2024.
___________________________
Molly Ryan
Acting Forest Supervisor
Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests

September 20, 2024

Today will be the FINAL UPDATE from Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 5.

The team will transfer command of all fires back to the Bitterroot National Forest on September 20, 2024 at 6 p.m.

NEW PHONE NUMBER for fire information: 406-499-2997.

CHANGES TO CLOSURES

• The Johnson Fire Area and the Railroad-Daly Fire Area Closures will be terminated on Friday, September 20that 8 a.m.
• The Sharrott Creek Fire Area closure is still in effect but was reduced in size, effective September 18th.
• The Skalkaho Highway (Highway 38) road closure will be modified on September 20that 7 a.m. and will now be closed from milepost 14.5 to 21.4.
• Forest Service Road 75 (Skalkaho Rye) will be open.
• Forest Service Road 711 is open; however, you cannot get to Hwy 38 from Road 711.

Visit Montana DOT for the most updated information: https://www.mdt.mt.gov/. More information on Bitterroot National Forest area closures can be found at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/bitterroot/alerts-notices

Current Status 

Johnson (3 miles south of Springer Memorial Community, in the East Fork)

Cause: Lightning

Size: 6,687

Completion: 59%

Personnel: 14

Sharrott (3 miles west of Stevensville)

Cause: Lightning

Size: 3,204

Completion: 83%

Personnel: 137

Daly and Railroad (Railroad and Skalkaho Creeks confluence, 26 miles southeast of Hamilton)

Cause: Undetermined

Size: 6,816 (Daly), 1,007 (Railroad)

Completion: 59% (Daly), 35% (Railroad)

Personnel: 20

CURRENT STATUS 

Excavators continue to work on the west and north flanks of the Johnson Fire and are on schedule to complete suppression repair efforts by the end of the weekend. On the Sharrott Creek Fire, excavators continue to pull back berms on constructed firelines.Chippers have completed their work, demobilizing and returning home. Suppression repair work, where necessary, continues onDaly and Railroad Fires.

WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR 

Drier and milder conditions will continue over the next few days. Temperatures will rise into thehigh 60s in the valley and high 50s at the higher elevations. Minimum relative humidity will be around 40% with mostly sunny skies. Southwest winds will be sustained around 10-15 mph with gusts up to 25-30 mph.

Fire behavior will be isolated smoldering, primarily in stump holes. Large heavy fuels are saturated and no longer support burning or combustion.

Closures: Multiple closures remain in place for public safety. Panther Creek Trail and Thunder Creek Trail north of Junction camps are closed. Go to the park website https://go.nps.gov/fireclosures for a complete list.

Key Messages 

This is the final update for the Short Draw Fire.  

Today is the last day that the Short Draw Fire will be managed by David Hamilton’s DNRC County Assist Team. The fire will be 100% contained and controlled by end of day today, September 20th. Command will be transferred back to Powder River County and Campbell County at 6 a.m. on Saturday, September 21, to ensure continued monitoring and management of the fire. Resources have and will continue to demobilize through end of today’s shift. 

Current Status 

Yesterday, excavators, dozers, and road graders continued the repairing and rehabilitating contingency lines that were previously constructed. Meanwhile firefighters patrolled and monitored the fire to mitigate any residual heat near the control lines. 

Today, crews will investigate and extinguish hot spots using data from the Infrared Awareness and Assessment (IAA) flight. Heavy equipment will continue repairing contingency lines ensuring the stabilization of the soil and reducing erosion risks. This process aims to restore the landscape to its natural state by minimizing environmental impacts and promoting the regrowth of native vegetation. 

The temporary flight restriction (TRF) over the fire area was lifted yesterday. 

Weather and Fire Behavior 

A cold front will push south through the fire area Friday afternoon. Temperatures will be in the high 70s with winds from 10-15 mph throughout the day. Friday night will be winds gusting up to 18 mph and temperatures around 45 degrees. 

Today will be the FINAL UPDATE from Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 5. 

The team will transfer command of all fires back to the Bitterroot National Forest on September 20, 2024 at 6 p.m.

NEW PHONE NUMBER for fire information: 406-499-2997.

CHANGES to Closures

• The Johnson Fire Area and the Railroad-Daly Fire Area Closures will be terminated on Friday, September 20th at 8 a.m.
• The Sharrott Creek Fire Area closure is still in effect but was reduced in size, effective September 18th. 
• The Skalkaho Highway (Highway 38) road closure will be modified on September 20th at 7 a.m. and will now be closed from milepost 14.5 to 21.4. 
• Forest Service Road 75 (Skalkaho Rye) will be open. 
• Forest Service Road 711 is open; however, you cannot get to Hwy 38 from Road 711.
• Visit Montana DOT for the most updated information: https://www.mdt.mt.gov/.  More information on Bitterroot National Forest area closures can be found at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/bitterroot/alerts-notices

Johnson Fire:

Cause: Lightning

Size: 6,687

Completion: 59%

Total Personnel: 14

Phone Number: 406-403-7976

Current Status 

Excavators continue to work on the west and north flanks of the Johnson Fire and are on schedule to complete suppression repair efforts by the end of the weekend. On the Sharrott Creek Fire, excavators continue to pull back berms on constructed firelines. Chippers have completed their work, demobilizing and returning home. Suppression repair work, where necessary, continues on Daly and Railroad Fires. 

Weather and Fire Behavior 

Drier and milder conditions will continue over the next few days. Temperatures will rise into the high 60s in the valley and high 50s at the higher elevations. Minimum relative humidity will be around 40% with mostly sunny skies. Southwest winds will be sustained around 10-15 mph with gusts up to 25-30 mph.  

Fire behavior will be isolated smoldering, primarily in stump holes. Large heavy fuels are saturated and no longer support burning or combustion.  

Today will be the FINAL UPDATE from Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 5. 

The team will transfer command of all fires back to the Bitterroot National Forest on September 20, 2024 at 6 p.m.

NEW PHONE NUMBER for fire information: 406-499-2997.

CHANGES to Closures

• The Johnson Fire Area and the Railroad-Daly Fire Area Closures will be terminated on Friday, September 20th at 8 a.m.
• The Sharrott Creek Fire Area closure is still in effect but was reduced in size, effective September 18th. 
• The Skalkaho Highway (Highway 38) road closure will be modified on September 20th at 7 a.m. and will now be closed from milepost 14.5 to 21.4. 
• Forest Service Road 75 (Skalkaho Rye) will be open. 
• Forest Service Road 711 is open; however, you cannot get to Hwy 38 from Road 711.
• Visit Montana DOT for the most updated information: https://www.mdt.mt.gov/.  More information on Bitterroot National Forest area closures can be found at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/bitterroot/alerts-notices

Sharrott Creek Fire:

Cause: Lightning

Size: 3,204

Completion: 83%

Total Personnel: 137

Phone Number: 406-403-7976

Current Status 

Excavators continue to work on the west and north flanks of the Johnson Fire and are on schedule to complete suppression repair efforts by the end of the weekend. On the Sharrott Creek Fire, excavators continue to pull back berms on constructed firelines. Chippers have completed their work, demobilizing and returning home. Suppression repair work, where necessary, continues on Daly and Railroad Fires. 

Weather and Fire Behavior 

Drier and milder conditions will continue over the next few days. Temperatures will rise into the high 60s in the valley and high 50s at the higher elevations. Minimum relative humidity will be around 40% with mostly sunny skies. Southwest winds will be sustained around 10-15 mph with gusts up to 25-30 mph.  

Fire behavior will be isolated smoldering, primarily in stump holes. Large heavy fuels are saturated and no longer support burning or combustion.  

Great Basin Complex Incident Management Team #4 
Contact Fire Information:  Phone:  208-593-7132  
Email:  2024.wapiti@firenet.gov 

Frog Fire Statistics 

• Size: 3,105 acres 
• Containment: 42% 
• Total Personnel: 105 
• Location: east of Clayton, ID 
• Reported: September 7, 2024 
• Cause: Lightning 

For More Information

• InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idstf-frog  
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sawtoothnationalforest 

Special Updates:  Highway 21 is now open to public traffic. Drivers are urged to exercise caution traveling between Lowman and Stanley. Personnel are working along the highway to continue fire suppression and rehabilitation efforts. Speeds will be reduced to 45 mph. Drive with headlights on. Smoke and occasional flames will be visible from areas where fire is smoldering in heavy downed timber. Rocks and other debris are also likely along the roadway. Traffic control measures and pilot cars may be used, particularly in areas where the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) may be working to replace guardrails. The area closure is still in place, which affects several roads leading from Highway 21. Access is open to Boundary Creek. 

Great Basin Complex Incident Management Team #4 took command of the Wapiti and Frog Fires last night.  Multiple fire camp locations are established to support the assigned firefighters and personnel. Highway signs mark these locations to alert drivers to large vehicle traffic entering and exiting the roadways; please drive cautiously. 

Weather:  Warmer and drier weather is forecast; however, it should not significantly increase fire activity on the Wapiti or Frog Fires.  Dense morning fog is likely and should lift around 11 AM. 

Current Situation:  The Frog Fire is now being managed jointly with the Wapiti Fire to facilitate shared resources and support to firefighters. Minimal smoke was visible from the fire yesterday. Firefighters worked to remove hoses and other equipment which had been placed near property for fire defense as the likelihood of further fire spread towards houses has decreased.  Crews and helicopters will continue to work in the area to increase containment while weather conditions are more favorable. The primary fire camp location for the Frog Fire is near Yankee Fork. 

Evacuations:  There are currently no evacuations related to the Frog Fire. 

Closures:  An area closure is in place around the Frog Fire. Roads 669 and 670 and trails 678 and 047 are all included in the closure. See the map and read the complete description at https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-closures/idstf-frog. 

Wapiti Fire Statistics

• Size: 125,474 acres
• Completion: 72%
• Total Personnel: 478
• Location: near Grandjean, ID
• Reported: July 24, 2024
• Cause: Lightning

For More Information

• InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idbof-wapiti-fire
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wapitifireinfo2024
• Linktree: https://linktr.ee/WapitiFireInfo2024
• Interactive Map:  https://tinyurl.com/WapitiFireInfoMap

Special Updates: Highway 21 is now open to public traffic. Drivers are urged to exercise caution traveling between Lowman and Stanley. Personnel are working along the highway to continue fire suppression and rehabilitation efforts. Speeds will be reduced to 45 mph. Drive with headlights on. Smoke and occasional flames will be visible from areas where fire is smoldering in heavy downed timber. Rocks and other debris are also likely along the roadway. Traffic control measures and pilot cars may be used, particularly in areas where the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) may be working to replace guardrails. The area closure is still in place, which affects several roads leading from Highway 21. Access is open to Boundary Creek.

Great Basin Complex Incident Management Team #4 took command of the Wapiti and Frog Fires last night.  Multiple fire camp locations are established to support the assigned firefighters and personnel. Highway signs mark these locations to alert drivers to large vehicle traffic entering and exiting the roadways; please drive cautiously.

Weather:  Warmer and drier weather is forecast; however, it should not significantly increase fire activity on the Wapiti or Frog Fires.  Dense morning fog is likely and should lift around 11 AM.

Current Situation:  The Wapiti Fire perimeter has grown minimally in the past 7 days, since significant rain fell in the area. Firefighters continue work to repair fire suppression actions. Smoke will be visible from areas where fire is smoldering in heavy downed timber, and flames may also be seen coming from internal pockets of unburned fuel within the fire’s existing perimeter. Firefighters are actively working in all areas of the fire and will take appropriate actions to limit fire spread.

On the western portion of the fire, repair work is occurring near Lowman and the Sourdough vicinity. Assessment of the debris flows near Grandjean are occurring to determine necessary equipment and work to open the roadways. At this time, there is no estimate when the road will be passable. To the north, the fire is uncontained near Copper Mountain but has not grown since receiving rain and snow earlier in the week. Heavy equipment is working around Stanley Lake and in Iron Creek to remove trees that may fall into roadways or on infrastructure. Fireline built by dozers is being repaired on the eastern side of the fire along the 210 road. On the southern edge, the fire has burned in extremely steep and inaccessible terrain where natural features such as rock screes are limiting fire spread.

Evacuations:  Evacuation status for Stanley Zone 1 is currently at READY. Stanley Zones 2 – 5 and Kasino are no longer in an evacuation status. To sign up for Custer County CodeRED emergency notifications, text CUSTER to 99411 or enroll online at https://public.coderedweb.com/CNE/BF28E45537FF.

Evacuation status for Boise County on the Lowman side of the Wapiti Fire has been downgraded to READY (Level 1) in all zones. To sign up for Boise County Alert Sense emergency notifications, enroll online at https://public.alertsense.com/SignUp/publicUser.aspx?regionid=1163.

For evacuation information on the Wapiti Fire, please see the Custer County Sheriff’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/p/Custer-County-Sheriff-Idaho-61558947312289/, and the Boise County Sheriff’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/boisecountysheriff/

Closures:  The Wapiti Fire area closure has been reduced but still covers portions of the Sawtooth, Boise, and Salmon National Forests. Please reference the map and description at https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-closures/idbof-wapiti-fire. Recreationalists and hunters should reference this map and obey all posted signage regarding the closure area and any related road, trail, and campground closures.

Residents and visitors should also be aware of the closure for the Middle Fork Complex, found at https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/boise/alerts-notices.

Middle Fork Complex Daily Update

September 20, 2024

Fire activity is expected to remain minimal today throughout all fires as high humidity and cooler temperatures remain. A warm, drying trend is expected to begin on Tuesday and continue for the remainder of next week. Firefighters continue to work and strengthen control lines in preparation for drier weather.  A lot of great work has been done and the team will begin focusing on the transition from suppression to suppression repair.  This will entail downsizing suppression resources and an uptick in suppression repair resources.

The Middle Fork Complex is 61,484 acres with 35% completion. 

Today firefighters continue masticating and chipping on the Bulldog and Nellie Fires along the Forest Service Roads 678, 671, and northern section of the 555 road to finish clearing debris within the fuel breaks.  Indirect lines are being cleaned up, so lines will be around Silver Creek, the lookout tower, the plunge and the hot springs so they will be ready to go for repair efforts and in case there is an Indian Summer in October.  On the Nellie Fire, crews will continue strengthening fire line on the Southwest side of Deadwood Reservoir and are beginning repair work. 

The Snag Fire is 33,300 acres with 33% completion.

Where the fire crossed over the Warm Lake Highway, scouts have checked that area, and we expect to see more containment in that area.  Equipment that is no longer needed will be removed from that area.  Firefighters will continue to use Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) to see if there is any heat remaining on the side that impacted the Cascade Area. 

The Goat Fire is 26,466 acres with 0% contained.

Firefighters are tying in direct line from old forest roads on the western and southern portion of the Goat Fire to protect values at risk. Preparations are being made in case this fire tries to move south. Crews are cleaning up dozer and hand lines and working towards suppression repair in those areas. 

A new closure order for the Middle Fork Complex Fire is in place opening several areas within the Boise National Forest. Closure changes specific to the Boise National Forest include opening roads 582, 563, and 579 that now allow access to lower Bear Valley Creek area, which is also now open. As a reminder, while the roads themselves are open, the lands west of 582 and 563 are still closed due to the Middle Fork Complex. This closure change goes into effect on Sept. 20 at 8 a.m.  An interactive forest closure map is available on the Boise National Forest Alerts & Closures website and see the current closures for the Cascade Ranger District.  https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/boise/alerts-notices

Hunters are not allowed access to closed areas. The Boise National Forest is re-evaluating closure orders across the forest due to firefighting progress and recent precipitation. The public can expect to see further changes later this week. 

In the meantime, we ask the public to adhere to the closures as they currently exist; in particular, Trail Creek Hot Springs is currently within the closure area for the West Mountain Complex and is closed.

Fire Restrictions: Stage 1 Fire Restrictions have been rescinded for the Boise National Forest at 8 a.m. Sept. 20, 2024. For more information on the restrictions visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/boise/alerts-notices.

Wildfires are a No Drone Zone. If you fly, we can’t. Every time a drone is spotted near the fire all aircraft are grounded until we can be sure the drone is clear of this area.  Visit Know Before You Fly, http://knowbeforeyoufly.org. A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in effect in the fire area.

Middle Fork Fire Information: 208-992-3045 (8 a.m. – 8 p.m.)                     Email: 2024.middleforkcomplex@firenet.gov 

Inciweb:https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idbof-middle-fork-complex-fire-bulldog-and-nellie

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/people/Middle-Fork-Complex-Fire-Boise-National-Forest/61565022204468

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@2024.middleforkcomplex