Incident Publication

Blue Front Fire Evening Update, October 29, 2024

Start Date / Time: October 28, 2024

Cause: Unknown

Size: 270 acres

Location: 4 miles west of Alto, located in the Blue 2 wildfire footprint in the White Mountain Wilderness.

Resources: Smokey Bear Hotshot Module and Sacramento Hotshot Module, Engine 612 (Type 6), Engine 311 (Type 3), Type 1 helicopter, incoming Type 3 crews and resources

Types of vegetation in the area (aka fuels): Grass, shrubs, dead/down fuels

Containment: 0% Strategy: Full Suppression Road Closures: None Smoke: Light 

Update: High wind speeds and gusts, along with warmer temperatures resulted in fire spread through grass and dead/down fuels throughout the wildfire footprint. Aviation assets were grounded due to high winds. Crews worked on the ground to establish containment lines. 

Resources will remain on-scene through the night, with some stationed along the South Fork Trail to ensure fire remains on the north side of the mountain face.

Resources for a Type 3 organization are currently arriving on the Lincoln to support response efforts. Crews will continue to arrive this week. Air support will also be utilized as often as weather permits.

Weather: Today, unseasonably warm temperatures and high wind speeds will be a factor in fire growth. No precipitation is expected.

Evacuations: None at this time. Homes in the Bonito Lake area are in a ‘ready’ status from the Lincoln County Emergency Management. ‘Ready’ status means that residents should be prepared to evacuate. Please pay close attention to emergency announcements.  You can sign up for emergency text notifications from Lincoln County at https://www.onsolve.com/landing/sign-up-for-codered-emergency-alerts/. 

More Information:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LincolnNationalForest NM Fire Info: www.NMFireInfo.com

Start Date / Time: October 28, 2024

Cause: Unknown

Size: 270 acres

Location: 4 miles west of Alto, located in the Blue 2 wildfire footprint in the White Mountain Wilderness.

Resources: Smokey Bear Hotshot Module and Sacramento Hotshot Module, Engine 612 (Type 6), Engine 311 (Type 3), Type 1 helicopter

Types of vegetation in the area (aka fuels): Grass, shrubs, dead/down fuels

Containment: 0% Strategy: Full Suppression Road Closures: None Smoke: Light 

Update: The Blue Front Fire was detected on the Smokey Bear Ranger District of the Lincoln National Forest on October 28, 2024. The wildfire is located within the White Mountain Wilderness Area, in the footprint of the 2024 Blue 2 Fire.

Smokey Bear Hotshots, along with local firefighting agencies, responded on-scene yesterday, with resources remaining overnight. Today, crews remain on scene, and helicopter is utilizing bucket drops when possible, however, windy conditions are affecting flight capabilities.

Sustained winds of 25 mph, and gusts of up to 50 mph are expected to continue throughout the day. On the upper west shoulder of the fire, containment lines are holding, and on the east side of the fire, there is a higher concentration of smoke.

Because of the warm weather and high winds, fire activity and growth is expected today, however, no values or resources are threatened at this time.

Weather: Today, unseasonably warm temperatures and high wind speeds will be a factor in fire growth. No precipitation is expected.

Evacuations: None at this time. Homes in the Bonito Lake area are in a ‘ready’ status from the Lincoln County Emergency Management. ‘Ready’ status means that residents should be prepared to evacuate. Please pay close attention to emergency announcements.  You can sign up for emergency text notifications from Lincoln County at https://www.onsolve.com/landing/sign-up-for-codered-emergency-alerts/. 

More Information:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LincolnNationalForest NM Fire Info: www.NMFireInfo.com

Yesterday was a successful day of prescribed fire operations across many of our districts, work will continue today and throughout the rest of this week, pending conditions. 

Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District:  Prescribed fire operations will continue on the River Road East Fire piles located near Pats Knob west of Paradise.  Smoke may be visible from Paradise, Knowles, Quinns, Highway 200 and Highway 135. 

Seeley Lake Ranger District:  Firefighters will conduct up to 10 acres of pile burning on the Westside Bypass Project area is located 4 miles northwest of Seeley Lake. Smoke may be visible from Seeley Lake and Highway 83.

Superior Ranger District: Pile burning operations will continue today on the Superior Ranger District 7 miles southeast of Superior in the Pierson Creek drainage. Fire managers will burn up to 60 acres of landing piles. The piles are a result from previous management operations on the Lost Creek Timber Sale.  Smoke may be visible from Superior.

More information on prescribed fire: https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/lolo/fire.

Rush Fire Smoke Outlook for Oct 29-30, 2024

FIRE

The Rush Fire fire is currently estimated at 12497 acres and is 48% contained. Fire activity for the Rush Fire is expected to decrease.

SMOKE

South winds again today 23-29 mph with possible gusts around 48 mph expected in the forecast area. Light periods of smoke will be visible in the interior pockets and north/west corner where fire activity continues. Counties directly north of the fire will see periods of smoke throughout the day. Overall GOOD air quality throughout theforecast area today.

HEALTH STATEMENT

Smoke can be harmful to your health.Check with your doctor if there are anyhealth concerns and monitor your local air quality conditions using the Fire and Smoke Map.

Next update will be provided Thursday, October 31, 2024 
 
People & Equipment: 387 Personnel, 8 Crews, 7 Engines, 2 Helicopters, 9 Heavy Equipment, 3 Ambulances 

 
Current Situation: The Pack Trail Fire is 89,930 acres, Fire Confinement 78% 

Operations – Nevada Team 4 took command of the Pack Trail Fire today at 0600. On the north and east sides of the fire, crews continue to identify and prioritize suppression repair needs prior to the forecasted snow event. Cold trailing continues along the fire perimeter as safety hazards allow. On the southwestern flank, from Union Pass to the Strawberry Warming Hut, crews clean ditches and chip slash from shaded fuel breaks. Precipitation and cold temperatures continue to aid fire suppression efforts. 

Safety – Residents and visitors are reminded to exercise extreme caution when dealing with fires or other possible ignition sources.  Please use caution while driving in these areas, especially on narrow secondary roads due to snow or ice accumulation. Always expect to encounter fire vehicles and heavy equipment in and around the fire area. Check with WY-DOT for updated road conditions, especially if you are planning to travel on US-26 across the Continental Divide.  

“If you fly, we can’t.” Remember that flying a personal drone over a fire area during a temporary flight restriction is illegal and can be an extremely dangerous threat to our aviators and firefighters on the ground.  

Weather—Widespread snow showers are expected from early morning Tuesday into Tuesday late night. Accumulations will range from 2-8 inches depending on elevation. Winter Weather Advisories and a Winter Storm Warning are in place Tuesday through 0700 Wednesday. Scattered snow showers are possible from Wednesday into Thursday. Highs on Tuesday and Wednesday should reach the 20s to mid-30s. Lows on Tuesday night should be in the teens to low 20s, with lows on Wednesday night even colder in the low to mid-teens.  Another cold front is predicted to bring additional snow to the area Thursday night into Friday. Highs on Thursday and Friday will range from the mid-20s to mid-30s. To learn more about air quality, visit Fire.AirNow.Gov. 

Evacuations – Evacuation areas have been reduced to a Level 1 “Ready” status for the Union Pass subdivision, Lava Mountain Lodge, Triangle C Ranch, and Old Mackenzie Ranch.  All other evacuation areas have been rescinded.  See the Fremont County Emergency Management Facebook Page for alerts and updates. See the Teton County Emergency Management website updates and to sign up for emergency alerts through Everbridge. 
 
Road Closures – The Union Pass Road is closed on the Pinedale Ranger District (BTNF) from Mosquito Lake to the Moon Lake Road on the Wind River District (SHO). Moon Lake Road is also closed.  
 
Forest Closures - Closure Order #04-03-24-317 is in effect from October 14, 2024, at 12:00 p.m. through November 15, 2024 at 12:00 a.m. unless rescinded. This order supersedes previous orders, including #04-03-24-316, prohibiting the same or similar acts in the same described area.  

For more information, visit: Facebook: USDA Forest Service - Bridger-Teton National Forest, USDA Forest Service - Shoshone National Forest  Pack Trail Inciweb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/wybtf-pack-trail-fire  

Elk Fire Update

Tuesday, October 29, 2024 – 9:00 a.m.

Wyoming Interagency Management Type 3 Team

Jon Warder, Incident Commander

Special Notes: Today, the Wyoming Interagency Incident Management Type 3 Team, led by Incident Commander Jon Warder, assumed command of the Elk Fire operations. Some personnel from the Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 1 will be retained from the current team to implement a smooth transition and complete fire objectives.

Current Situation: Incident Management Team Leaders are watching weather conditions closely, and will make decisions on when to deploy crews based on how the rain and snow are impacting the fire area today.  Firefighter safety remains our number one objective, and access to some high elevation areas could be difficult and dangerous.

Equipment will focus on Red Grade Road, widening defensible space that can serve to halt any future southern spread of the Elk Fire, plus provide future fire control options. Incident Commander Jon Warder noted that the protection of the Sheridan watershed, now and in the future, is a top priority for the team.

Elsewhere on the fire, firefighters will continue to repair handline and dozer lines that are no longer needed.  The goal of suppression repair is to return areas disrupted by firefighting suppression tactics to the way they were before the fire. This may be delayed by weather conditions.

Weather, Fuels, and Fire Behavior: Colder temperatures, rain and snow have moved over the fire area. Significant precipitation is forecast throughout the day Tuesday through Wednesday morning. A winter weather advisory is in effect, with 10-14 inches expected in higher elevations, and 1-3 inches in lower elevations. 

Closures and Advisories: 

Red Grade Road remains closed. US Highway 14 between Burgess Junction and Dayton is open, restrictions are in place for some commercial vehicles based on weight and size. Additional information is at: https://www.wyroad.info/.

The Bighorn National Forest is continually assessing the Forest Closure, and looking to reduce the size of the closure where possible.  Currently, Bighorn National Forest closure Order No. 02-02-06-24-08 remains in effect. The order and map can be viewed here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/bighorn/alerts-notices.

Elk Fire Statistics: Size: 98,352 acres   |   Containment: 82%   |   Total Personnel: 376|   Location: West of Sheridan, WY

Reported: September 27, 2024   |   Cause: lightning

Rush Fire

Fire Information - 580-257-7839        2024.Rush@FireNet.gov

InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/okwmr-rush-fire 

Facebook: @WichitaMountainsWildlifeRefuge

Tuesday October 29, 2024

Overview: The Rush Fire is on the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge and lands administered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Oklahoma Forestry Services. The Rush Fire is currently 12,488 acres and 48% contained. There are currently 26 engines, 4 dozers, 3 helicopters, 3 water tenders and 125 people assigned to the fire. 

Operations: Yesterday, engine crews continued to make progress on the northwest edge of the fire along Black Bear Springs, ensuring that winds from the south did not threaten containment. On the northeast portion of the fire, engines focused on mopping up all areas of heat near structures in the community of Meers and Mt Sheridan Estates. Engines patrolled the fire edge around Jed Johnson Lake, the Holy City and north of Hwy 49 for any areas of heat, only finding heat well interior from the fire edge, with no threat to the containment line. 

Today, winds from the south will continue to expose areas of heat and interior unburned pockets continue to be consumed. On all areas of the northern perimeter, including Mt. Sheridan Estates and Meers, firefighters will extinguish areas of heat up to 100 feet interior from the fire edge to ensure that burning embers do not cross the fire perimeter into unburned fuel. North of Hwy. 49, firefighters will extinguish areas of heat that are identified and will cold trail along the southern fire perimeter, taking extra time to ensure that all areas are cold to the touch and completely extinguished. 

Weather: A Wind Advisory is in effect today until 8:00 p.m. Winds will be out of the south at 35 miles per hour with gusts to 50 miles per hour. Relative humidity will drop to about 43% and temperatures will reach 83 degrees.

Smoke: Smoke can be harmful to your health. Check with your doctor if there are any health concerns and monitor your local air quality conditions using the Fire and Smoke Map. Current Smoke Outlook for SW Oklahoma

Evacuations: There are no evacuations in place for the Rush Fire. Residents close to the fire area should stay alert and informed on the current fire situation. Changes to evacuations will be made in consultation between fire managers and the Comanche County Emergency Management. Residents can sign up for the Comanche County Emergency Notifications and Alerts through their website at https://www.comanchecounty.us/emergency-notifications-systems

Closures and Restrictions: Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge is currently closed due to smoke impacts from the Rush Fire and to ensure the safety of firefighters and the public. This closure is for all public use areas, including Charon’s Garden Wilderness Area, Dog Run Hollow Trail System, Boulder Cabin and Picnic Areas, Lost Lake, Doris Campground, the Environmental Education Center, the Visitor Center, Holy City, the Parallel Forest, and Mount Scott.  

All entrance points to the refuge are closed. There are road closures on Highway 115 at the Cache and Meers Gates, on Highway 49 at the West Gate located Northwest of Charon’s Garden Wilderness Area and at the Medicine Park Refuge entrance. Indiahoma Road is also closed South of Charon’s Garden Wilderness Area. Entering a closed National Wildlife Refuge is a violation of federal law and is cause for fine or arrest.

Comanche County has a countywide burn ban in effect. 

A temporary flight restriction is in effect in and around the fire area. The use of personal drones is always prohibited on the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. If you fly, we cannot fly.

SHOE FIRE 

DAILY UPDATE 

October 29, 2024 

Email: 2024.shoe@firenet.gov 

Incident Website: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/cashf-shoe-fire 

Forest Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/stnf 

Fire Weather Forecast: https://www.weather.gov/wrh/CAFW?area=ECC005 

Fire Information Line: 530-338-0317 (Staffed 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM)

Quick Facts:

Location: Shasta County, CA │ Start Date: Wednesday, October 9, 2024, at 6:57 PM │ Cause: Human 

Size: 5,124 │ Containment: 75%│ Vegetation: Timber, Chapparal │ Total Personnel Assigned: 709 

Containment has steadily increased over the past few days due to rainfall and firefighters’ continued mop-up efforts. Fire managers scouted muddy roadways yesterday ahead of crews to assess if work sites could be accessed safely without causing damage to roads. Work was able to continue through most of the day, however, resources on the west side of the fire took a safety pause yesterday afternoon while heavy rainfall and lightning passed through the area. Dozers and hand crews continued installing water bars to improve drainage along hand and dozer lines and existing water bars were checked and improved as necessary. Excess hose and water handling equipment continues to be backhauled from the fire. Helicopter personnel flew a reconnaissance flight to approve additional temporary landing sites near the fire for use in case of an emergency. Excavators continued fire suppression repair along Garden Ridge, constructing water bars to promote proper drainage and prevent erosion. Chipping operations progressed along Forest Service Road 35N07. Today, more heavy equipment moved into place to assist with fire suppression repair. Masticators and excavators continue repair work up Curl Ridge. Grading continues along Fenders Ferry Road as well as masticating and chipping south of the fire. Firefighters are actively securing the last portions of the control lines to reach full containment. 

WEATHER: High pressure will be over the west coast resulting in warming and drying today. Temperatures should warm well into the 50s to lower-60s. The next weather system will begin to influence the weather beginning Wednesday morning. Increasing clouds in the morning will give way to a chance of rain by late afternoon/evening. Precipitation should be light Wednesday evening, but will likely pick up in intensity through the night. Temperatures will cool off 3-5 degrees and winds will be gusty out of the southwest through the day.

CLOSURES AND SAFETY: 

• Fenders Ferry Road at Pit River 7 Bridge: West-Bound Fenders Ferry Road (Also known as 34N17 - Forest Service Road 27) at the Pit River Bridge/Pit 7 
• Ferry Road is closed at McCloud Bridge: East-Bound Fenders Ferry Road at the McCloud River Bridge 
• A Temporary Flight Restriction is in place over the fire area https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_4_2632.html. Drones are prohibited from flying in fire areas. If you fly, we can’t.
• A temporary Forest closure is in effect https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/stnf/alerts-notices/?cid=stelprdb5392380

Blue Front Fire Morning Update, October 29, 2024

Start Date / Time: October 28, 2024

Cause: Unknown

Size: 200 acres

Location: 4 miles west of Alto, located in the Blue 2 wildfire footprint in the White Mountain Wilderness.

Resources: Smokey Bear Hotshot Module and Sacramento Hotshot Module, Engine 612 (Type 6), Engine 311 (Type 3), Type 1 helicopter 

Types of vegetation in the area (aka fuels): Grass, shrubs, dead/down fuels

Containment: 0%

Strategy: Full Suppression

Road Closures: None

Smoke: Light

Evacuations: None

Update: The Blue Front Fire was detected on the Smokey Bear Ranger District of the Lincoln National Forest on October 28, 2024. The wildfire is located within the White Mountain Wilderness Area, in the footprint of the 2024 Blue 2 Fire.

Smokey Bear Hotshots, along with local firefighting agencies, responded on-scene yesterday, with resources remaining overnight.

Today, crews will work to safely access the wildfire, which is located in steep, unsafe terrain, making direct engagement difficult. Air support, including helicopters, will be utilized to drop water on the fire, weather and winds permitting.

Because of the warm weather and high winds, fire activity and growth is expected today, however, no values or resources are threatened at this time.

Weather:  Today, unseasonably warm temperatures and high wind speeds will be a factor in fire growth. No precipitation is expected.

More Information: 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LincolnNationalForest 

NM Fire Info: www.NMFireInfo.com

Blue Front Fire Evening Update, October 28, 2024

Start Date: October 28, 2024

Cause: Unknown

Size: 50 acres

Location: 4 miles west of Alto, located in the Blue 2/South Fork fire burn scar area.

Resources: Smokey Bear Hotshots, Bonito Fire Department, Ruidoso OEM, Lincoln County OES.

Types of vegetation in the area (aka fuels): Grass, shrubs, dead/down fuels

Containment: 0%

Strategy: Full Suppression

Road Closures: None

Smoke: Light

Evacuations: None

Update: The Blue Front Fire was detected on the Smokey Bear Ranger District on October 28, 2024. Crews will remain on-scene through the night, and air support is being utilized. Crews are using full-suppression tactics to engage the wildfire.

Weather:  Today, warm temperatures and high wind speeds were a factor in fire growth. Tonight, mostly clear weather is expected, with southwest winds from 25-30 mph with warmer temperatures. On Tuesday, the warm trends are expected to continue, with 58-63 degrees above 7,500 feet, and 68-73 degrees below 7,500 feet. No precipitation is expected.

More Information: 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LincolnNationalForest 

NM Fire Info: www.NMFireInfo.com

InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/nmlnf-blue-front-fire

The next update for this incident will be sent out tomorrow.