Incident Publication

PACK TRAIL FIRE

Saturday, October 26, 2024 Update

Fire Information Phone: 307-395-2351      8am-8pm   

Email: 2024.Packtrail@firenet.gov

Total Acres: 89,921 

Confined: 70%     

Total Personnel: 588

Operations – On the north and east sides of the Pack Trail Fire, crews continue to complete fire suppression repair.  Cold trailing continues along the fire edge as safety hazards allow. Crews continue to break down structure protection equipment along Highway 26.  On the southwestern flank, crews continue to secure the fire’s edge, cold trailing and extinguishing any remaining visible smoke. Crews are chipping slash in shaded fuel breaks and cleaning ditches along forest roads. Precipitation and cold temperatures continue to aid suppression efforts on the fire.  Helicopters are being utilized in the backcountry to backhaul unnecessary equipment and supplies.  

Safety – Despite the recent and predicted precipitation, Teton Interagency Fire Managers are maintaining the Very High Fire Danger Rating for Grand Teton National Park, the Bridger-Teton National Forest, the Shoshone National Forest, and the National Elk Refuge. This precipitation was not a fire season-ending event. Due to wind, fuels will begin to rapidly dry out when the snow melts. 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. Always expect to encounter fire vehicles and heavy equipment in and around the fire area. Check with WY-DOT for possible closures due to fire activity, 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—Today will be mostly sunny, with temperatures of 53-58 degrees and minimum relative humidities of 18-23%. Winds from the southwest to west will be 6-11 MPH with gusts up to 20 MPH. High pressure will remain in the area on Sunday before a cold front moves into the area on Monday bringing with it rain and snow showers for the early part of next week.  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

SHOE FIRE

 DAILY UPDATE

 October 26, 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: 5,129 │ Containment: 52%│ Vegetation: Timber, Chapparal │ Total Personnel Assigned: 902 

Fire activity was minimal yesterday with interior areas of the fire smoldering and producing very little smoke. Firefighters continued to add depth to containment lines by gridding for heat as they progressed deeper into the interior of the fire area and extinguished hot spots. Crews sifted through dozer berms checking for heat and extinguishing smoldering and underground fire. Additional heavy equipment resources arrived to engage in fire suppression repair in the coming days. Excess hose and equipment continued to be backhauled from the fire area. Today, firefighters will vigilantly patrol and monitor for flare ups, actively grid burned areas for heat and fire, and continue mop-up operations to fully extinguish remaining hot spots. Chipping and masticating will resume along contingency lines and fire suppression repair needs are being identified by resource advisors. Firefighters assigned to the Shoe Fire will also remain available to assist with any new wildfire starts in the nearby area. 

WEATHER: Conditions will remain dry and warm with temperatures in the low to mid 70s. Cloud cover will start moving into the area in the afternoon accompanied by gusty south-southwest winds along ridges. Light rain is anticipated across the fire area Sunday morning as a Pacific frontal system moves onshore with around a quarter of inch of rain expected through Sunday evening.

EVACUATIONS: Due to improving conditions on the Shoe Fire, the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office removed the evacuation order for zone LKH-1448-B yesterday. Forest area closures are in affect as outlined below.

SMOKE: Updates on smoke conditions can be found under the following link: https://outlooks.wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlook/59ecb6c0? 

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

Elk Fire Daily Update

Saturday, October 26, 2024 – 9:00 a.m.

Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 1

Dan Dallas, Incident Commander

Information Phone: 307-303-7642

Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Email:2024.Elk@firenet.gov

InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/wybhf-elk-fire-2024

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/bighornnf

Information Linktree:https://linktr.ee/2024ElkFire

Special Notes: A community meeting is planned for 6 p.m. Monday, October 28th, at the Sheridan Junior High School, located at 500 Lewis Street. The meeting will be recorded and posted to Facebook and virtual connection will be available through Facebook live streaming at: https://www.facebook.com/bighornnf.

Today only, individuals who received authorization by submitting a request form will be entering the National Forest closure area to retrieve camper trailers and other personal property or check on their cabins. Please drive carefully, especially where firefighters are sharing the roadways.

Current Situation: Containment rose to 73% yesterday as firefighters continued progress on both line construction and suppression repair efforts. Suppression repair is sizeable as more than 155 miles of dozer lines were constructed to stop fire spread when it was actively burning and growing. Over 65 miles have been completed so far. Suppression repair is the first phase of wildfire recovery and is an important component to repairing damage and minimizing soil erosion. The second and third phases of post wildfire recovery are emergency stabilization through Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER), followed by Long-Term Recovery and Reforestation, respectively. BAER is ongoing and consists of doing rapid assessment of burned watersheds to identify and act on imminent post-wildfire threats to human life, safety, property, and critical natural or cultural resources on forest lands. Long-term recovery and reforestation include taking non-emergency actions to improve fire-damaged lands that are unlikely to recover naturally such as reforestation, restoring burned habitat, or treating noxious weeds.

Today, smoke will be visible due to the warmer and drier conditions. Firefighters will be working areas that show smoke and continuing to secure the fire perimeter where necessary. Suppression repair will be ongoing and includes backhauling unneeded supplies and equipment. Weather conditions will be advantageous for road access and operations overall as firefighters work to complete indirect line construction and suppression repair in advance of the incoming winter storm arriving Monday.

Division A: No change; aircraft are monitoring this division as it is unstaffed. 

Divisions Z, P, M, K, I: Further division consolidation occurred yesterday with Z, P, and M now being one division. Given the likelihood for snow early next week, firefighters will be striving to complete as much outstanding suppression repair operations as possible before the storm arrives Monday. Crews will continue to work into the fall as possible, and any work not completed will resume in spring once conditions allow the safe return of firefighters and heavy equipment access.

Division H: Fuels reduction operations along the Red Grade Road and Forest Road 26 are progressing. Heavy equipment resources are directed to this division as work is completed on others areas of the fire. Operations will continue today.

Divisions D, F: Suppression repair and chipping operations were ongoing throughout most of the division. Firefighters continued to secure indirect fireline along Forest Road 15. These operations will resume today.

Weather, Fuels, and Fire Behavior:

Weather conditions will warm even more today, reaching the mid-70s in lower elevations and the upper 50s at high elevations. Humidity will be low and in the 20% range possibly dropping into the teens. Winds will be light, similar

to yesterday, with gusts up to 22 mph. Increased smoke will be evident from more active fire behavior, compared to previous days. Fine fuels have dried with yesterday’s warm temperatures and will carry some fire where heat has

been retained. Overall, fire spread will be minimal because of residual moisture content in both vegetation and soils (especially in shaded areas and north facing slopes) from storms over the last week.

Evacuations:

All evacuations for the Elk Fire have been lifted.

Closures and Advisories:

A Temporary Flight Restriction is in place over the Elk Fire. Wildfires are a no-fly zone for unauthorized aircraft, including drones. If you fly, we can’t. For more information, visit http://knowbeforeyoufly.org.

Red Grade Road is 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/.

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: 96,955 acres | Containment: 73% | Total Personnel: 453 | Location: West of Sheridan, WY

Reported: September 27, 2024 | Cause: lightning

Red Rock Fire   

  Operations:    

Taking advantage of the break in weather, crews have made great progress increasing completion by an additional 18 percent. Fire Managers are working closely with local resource advisors to prioritize repairs and focus the efforts of resources prior to the incoming weather. Along the Ridge Road, equipment is continuing to remove downed trees that were cut as part of containment lines. Crews will be finishing the removal of pumps, hoses, and portable water tanks in the Yellowjacket area. Additionally, multiple pieces of equipment will be attempting to finish repairing dozer line across the southern end of the fire.  

Additional Information   

Featured Information:  

Weather changes have significantly reduced fire activity, prompting a revised suppression strategy for the Red Rock Fire that combines containment and confinement tactics.  

Containment involves establishing control lines expected to halt the fire's spread, while confinement uses natural features—such as rock bands, ridges, burn scars, or changes in fuel types—to limit growth. Both strategies are expressed as percentages, reflecting overall progress. The Red Rock Fire will be reported as completion percentages, with a continued focus on protecting critical assets and ensuring the safety of firefighters and the public. 

Weather: Ahead of the cold front, today’s weather will be warmer with clear skies. Tomorrow will bring dropping temperatures, and snow to the upper elevations of the fire. This snow line with be decreasing almost to the valley floor as the system moves through on Monday.  

Closures: The Red Rock Closure Order, Number: 04-13-24-027 remains in effect. Please adhere to closure orders, as this is crucial for the safety of both the public and firefighters. Even in areas with minimal fire activity, crews are continuing to operate heavy equipment and make repairs. Barricades and closures will be posted at road intersections and forest boundaries. In coordination with the Lemhi County Sheriff's Office and the Salmon-Challis National Forest, residents of Yellowjacket and Panther Creek may access their properties via the road, after checking in with the road guard. For more info:  https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/scnf/alerts-notices.  

Evacuations: 

All evacuation zones for the Red Rock and Garden fires have been lifted. 

Red Rock Fire Map October 26

Sat, 10/26/2024 - 09:51

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Red Rock Fire Map October 26

Fire crews began ignitions on the North Hart Prescribed Fire in the Valle Vidal today. Here’s the latest:

• Crews completed 450 acres, burning along the northern edge of the unit on Vermejo Reserve. This method is called blacklining, which reduces fuels along a pre-existing control line, in this case a road, before larger areas are treated within the interior of the prescribed fire unit.
• Ignitions are expected to continue Oct. 26, pending weather conditions. Smoke will continue to be produced with wind forecasted to push it out of the area during the day and lay down locally overnight.
• Fire personnel from various partner agencies participated in today’s work: Vermejo Reserve/Colfax County Fire Dept., Red River Fire Dept. the Nature Conservancy/Ember Alliance and National Park Service. Students from the National Interagency Prescribed Fire Training Center also helped.

Project Background

The North Hart Prescribed Fire is an 1,871-acre cross-boundary burn between Carson National Forest and Vermejo Reserve. It’s the first project on the forest that uses a congressionally authorized tool known as a Wyden Agreement to collaboratively conduct restoration work across boundaries to protect, restore and enhance fish and wildlife habitat.

The unit is about evenly split between Forest Service and Vermejo Reserve lands. The area last experienced fire in 2002 during the Ponil Complex Fire, and this work helps maintain the health of fire-dependent ponderosa stands and grasslands.

Ignition updates are available on InciWeb and by other means. The public can learn more about prescribed fires on the Carson National Forest at fs.usda.gov/goto/CarsonRx.

Capilla Prescribed Fire

Ignitions Completed Today

October 25, 2024 – Today's objectives on the Capilla Prescribed Fire consisted of mopping and holding exterior fire lines as well as the ignition of small, unburned pockets within the perimeter. Today there was an operation focused on unburned pockets of fuel, which was completed around 1:30 PM. Overall, fire crews focused on securing the fire's perimeter and mop-up. Please note, smoke may continue to be visible as unburned or heavy fuels within the perimeter continue to burn. These heat sources should pose no threat to perimeter lines. Fire crews will continue to be onsite daily to monitor and extinguish hot spots as necessary. Unless there are new developments, this will be the final new release specific to the Capilla Rx.

Fire acreage remained at 570 acres. The Capilla Fuels Reduction and Restoration Project in the Manzano Mountains is located approximately 10 miles northwest of the town of Mountainair in the southern half of the Manzano Mountains of Torrance County New Mexico.

Smoke may be visible from Mountainair, Punta de Agua, Manzano, Torreon and Estancia Valley. Visitors to the Red Canyon Campground as well as the Red Canyon, Spruce Spring, New Canyon, and Crest Trails may be affected. There are currently no road or area closures in effect. The Cibola NF & NGs manages all prescribed fires in compliance with New Mexico state air quality and smoke management regulations. However, smoke may settle into drainages and lower elevations at night, and is expected to disperse as temperatures rise in the morning. Information on air quality and protecting your health can be found online at the www.airnow.gov/.

Some objectives for the Capilla Rx include improving wildlife habitat by creating diversity in vegetation, returning fire to the ecosystem in a controlled and efficient manner, and to reduce fuel loadings/raise the canopy cover base to reduce the likelihood of a crown fire, all while providing for the safety of all fire personnel and members of the public.

Our land management strategy is centered on long-term forest health, including reducing forest fuels and using prescribed fire on the landscape. Prescribed fires are intended to reduce hazardous fuels accumulated due to

drought, climate change, insects and disease, and decades of fire suppression. Additionally, fire managers use prescribed fire to improve forest health, remove hazardous fuels, increase firefighter safety, enhance wildlife

habitat, and protect communities and watersheds. Prescribed fires are designed to meet specific objectives and are always managed with firefighter and public safety as the priority.

Implementation announcements and updates on prescribed fire projects will be posted on InciWeb, New Mexico Fire Information and on the Cibola NF & NGs website, Cibola Facebook and Cibola Twitter sites.

If you would like specific information, please contact the Mountainair Ranger District Office at (505) 847-2990 or the Cibola NF & NG Supervisor's Office at (505) 346-3900.

# # #

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

The Bighorn National Forest is hosting a community meeting on Monday, October 28, at 6 p.m. that will be held at the Early Building Auditorium at Sheridan Junior High School.

Join us for a discussion around Elk Fire updates to include current suppression work and post-fire response, followed by a Q&A with experts.

The meeting will be live streamed on the Bighorn National Forest Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/bighornnf . If there are any technical difficulties, a recording will be made available afterward.

Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office has announced that all "Ready" evacuation statuses related to the Elk Fire have been lifted. No areas within Sheridan County remain under any form of evacuation.

However, several roads will remain closed to ensure the safety of local residents and ongoing firefighting efforts. The following roads are restricted to local residents and fire personnel only:

• Twin Creek Road at Parkman Access

• Smith Creek Road (closed at the dry weather road)

• Tongue Canyon Road (closure moved to Amsden Creek Road intersection)

• Amsden Road

• Little Goose Canyon Road

• PK Lane (intersection of Beckton Road)

Additionally, the following roads are under a hard closure, meaning that only fire personnel are permitted in these areas. For the safety of the public, both vehicles and pedestrians are prohibited from accessing these locations due to heavy fire equipment in operation:

• Red Grade Road (at the winter closure)

All other road closures have been lifted.

Sheridan County will no longer be issuing daily updates unless there are changes to road closures or other significant developments. However, we will continue to share updates from the Bighorn National Forest as needed.

We extend our gratitude to the residents of Sheridan County for staying informed and for their cooperation with evacuation orders and road closures during this emergency.

Sheridan County Emergency Management Phone: 307-752-2174

The Elk Fire information hotline: 307-303-7642

Sheridan County Web Site: www.sheridancountywy.gov

This update provides an overview of the current status of the Summit Lake Fire for October 25, 2024.

Rail Ridge Fire Update

Friday, October 25, 2024

Central Oregon Wildfire Information: centraloregonfire.org

Email: 2024.railridge@firenet.gov  ~  Phone: 541-208-7111

Social Media, Evacuation and Closure Information: https://linktr.ee/RailRidgeFire
Acres: 176,619  ~  Containment: 92%  ~  Start Date: 09/02/24  ~  Cause: Lightning  ~  Personnel: 293

**The next Rail Ridge Fire update will be posted Sunday, October 27.**

Hunting and Fire Closure Areas:  Closures will remain in effect on the Rail Ridge Fire due to hazardous conditions. Hazards include ground instability, difficult to recognize dangerous hotspots that may be underground, and unstable trees that may fall unexpectedly. Rail Ridge Fire managers encourage forest users to make sure intended camping and hunting areas are not closed due to wildfire activity. Closures of areas of the Rail Ridge Fire have impacted hunting grounds on the Ochoco and Malheur National Forests, BLM lands, and areas managed by ODFW. 

Forest access roads are still being utilized by fire crews and equipment completing repair work. Fire Area Closures remain in place for both firefighter and public safety, and public cooperation is appreciated as fire personnel continue project efforts. For more information on closures as well as Wheeler County and Grant County evacuation information, visit https://linktr.ee/RailRidgeFire.
 

Private Landowners: Are you a private landowner or contractor with projects within the fire perimeter or Malheur National Forest Rail Ridge #2 Fire Closure (06-04-01-24-30)? Contact our fire information line at 541-208-7111, or email us at: 2024.railridge.liaison@firenet.gov with questions about land access, fire suppression activities, or suppression repair efforts in your area. 
 

Operations: Today’s objectives are to continue repairs to Forest Road (FR) 24 and FR 070. Fire personnel are hauling logs from the shaded fuel break off of FR 3850. Grading operations are ongoing on FR 5840 and FR Battle Creek. Yesterday Rager Spike Camp was dismantled and resources from the camp were reassigned to the incident command post near Dayville or released from the fire. 

Weather and Fire Behavior: Today, temperatures will be in the mid 50s to lower 60s, with the lows being in the mid 30s. Winds may gust up to 25 MPH from the south. On Saturday we are expecting warmer, dryer conditions with temperatures possibly reaching the 70s. Rain showers and mountain snow will return to the area on Sunday.
 

USFS & BLM Closures / Evacuation Information / Fire Restrictions / Social Media for the Rail Ridge Fire area can be found at: https://linktr.ee/RailRidgeFire.