Incident Publication

PACK TRAIL FIRE

Saturday, October 19, 2024 Update
Fire Information Phone: 307-395-2351 | Email: 2024.Packtrail 

Total Acres: 89,186        Confined: 62%     Total Personnel: 541

Operations – The fire saw greatly moderated fire behavior today, however, there was not as much moisture as anticipated. As the week warms up and becomes windy, grasses and fine fuels will dry out again causing fire activity to increase. On the southern edge, the fire continues to smolder and slowly creep through thick duff and in some areas where there was not much moisture, grasses burned with flame lengths of 2-5 feet. Firefighters cooled down areas of heat to secure the fire line.  Crews continue to put out hotspots, repair culverts, and clean up slash from the roadsides.  On the west flank, crews patrolled the Bacon Creek area and are working to connect containment lines in rugged terrain above Elk Track Ranch. On the east side, crews continue to backhaul equipment, monitor, hold, improve containment lines. Crews who have UTV’s will access deeper into the fire’s footprint to help prevent deep ruts on the roads from heavy trucks. 

Safety – Despite the recent 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. Any spark can ignite fire which can grow rapidly into a major incident. Residents and visitors are urged to exercise extreme caution with fires or other possible ignition sources. Never leave your campfire unattended, even for a moment. Always ensure someone is watching it or extinguish it completely before leaving. Drown the fire with water, stir the ashes, and feel with the back of your hand to confirm it is cool. 

Please use caution while driving 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. Closures are not expected, but with active fire in the area checking status before travel is recommended.

“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 both our aviators and firefighters on the ground.

Weather – Today will be sunny  and temperature will be 42-56 degrees with a minimum relative humidity’s between 23% - 37%.  Winds from the northeast will  be 4-8 MPH with gusts up to 15. Warmer and drier weather will return over the week. To learn more about air quality, visit Fire.AirNow.Gov.

Evacuations – Lava Mountain Lodge, Roaring River Subdivision, Buckboard Subdivision, Double Bar J Ranch, Lava Creek Ranch, Triangle C Ranch, Pelham Lake, Sheridan Creek Camp Areas, Old Mackenzie Ranch, Upper Gros Ventre, Darwin Ranch have been reduced to Level 2 “Set” status. Brooks Lake Lodge, Pinnacle, Breccia, and Long Creek, and Dunior areas have been reduced to a Level 2 “Ready” status. Union Pass subdivision remains in a Level 2 “Set” status. 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

Yellow Lake Fire 
Incident Update October 19, 2024

Size at time of update: 33,038 Acres
Containment: 30%
Personnel: 433
Start: Saturday, September 28, 2024
Cause: Human Caused (Under Investigation)
Location: 10 miles southeast of Francis, Utah

Wasatch and Duchesne County evacuation orders were lifted at 9:00 a.m. - Forest closures remain in effect.

Personnel numbers on the Yellow Lake Fire continue to decline as operations ramp down. Six days ago, 889 personnel were on the fire – today there are 433.

Rain and snow fell yesterday with up to 1.23 inches of precipitation recorded.  However, fire managers say there is still some heat out there. Aircraft, equipped with infrared technology, flew the fire area last night and detected isolated heat sources on the north side. Hot spots were also picked up along the North Fork of Duchesne, as well as a few in the “donut hole” in the middle of the fire perimeter. 

As the weather warms today, smoke from smoldering heavy fuels, duff and leaf litter could show up.  An isolated snag torching would not be unexpected.  However, fire movement is not expected.

Fire suppression has transitioned to repair of dozer lines, pump and hose removal, and hydrological improvements such as water bars.

A Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team will be coming next week to assess damage and recommend ways to mitigate changes to the landscape.  Suppression repair is important for water quality, especially within adjacent watersheds. Meanwhile, fire crews are working with local Forest Service Resource Advisors to address immediate repair needs.

A community meeting will be held this afternoon at 4:00 p.m. at the South Summit Middle School Auditorium in Kamas to discuss fire suppression, rehabilitation and what’s next.

Forest Closures: 

• Updated October 18, 2024, the Yellow Lake Fire closure area has been reduced on the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. This Order shall remain in effect until November 25, 2024, unless rescinded.
  https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1208350.pdf
• Updated October 18, 2024, the Yellow Lake Fire closure area has been reduced on the Ashley National Forest. This closure will remain in place through December 31, 2024, or until rescinded.

For updated evacuation zones, please visit: 

https://emergency-management-operations-wasatch.hub.arcgis.com/

https://tricountyemergencyalert.genasys.com/portal/en

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1208878.pdf 

Evacuations reduced on Garden and Red Rock Fires

Red Rock Fire

Operations: Crews re-assessed conditions yesterday as the snow melted around the fire area. The landscape still has lots of fire and heat, although behavior remains moderated. Firefighters scouted for ways to tie together fire lines on the north/northeast along FR 101 east to Ridge Road. Feller Buncher and mastication continued removing hazard trees to ensure firefighter safety. Crews went in near Moyer Peak in the morning but had to leave as temperatures warmed and road conditions deteriorated. Near Yellowjacket, crews extinguished a 10x10 area where the fire crossed the line. Fire managers anticipate crews re-engaging more heavily today, constructing additional handlines and clearing vegetation along road systems with heavy equipment. Firefighters will continue to mop up areas where previous firing operations occurred. There were no crews on the Napias Creek Fire yesterday, but firefighters will re-engage today to address any areas of concern.

Garden Fire

Operations: Fire behavior remained moderated yesterday, and firefighters patrolled the Salmon River and Panther Creek corridors. There was still smoke up high where fire remained in heavy fuels such as logs, stumps, and trees, although light fuels such as grass were not carrying fire. Crews will continue to monitor the Garden fire and act if necessary.

Additional Information

Weather: For Saturday, another cold start is expected, but abundant sunshine will warm afternoon highs 10 to 15 degrees, with highs mainly 52 to 62. Humidity readings will only slightly decrease from the previous afternoon. Wind will continue light with gusts staying below 15 mph. The next storm expected Monday will bring little precipitation, some moderate gusty wind, and temperatures cooling 5 to 10 degrees.

Smoke: For smoke information, please go to: https://www.airnow.gov/education/what-you-can-do/, or  https://outlooks.airfire.org/outlook/ded7837a 

Closures: The Salmon‐Challis National Forest has implemented a separate and reduced Red Rock and Garden Fire Closure, Order Number: 04‐13‐24‐027 and Order Number 04-13-24-028, effective as of 8:00 pm, Wednesday, October 16, 2024. https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/scnf/alerts-notices 

Safety: A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place over the Red Rock and Garden fire areas, which includes uncrewed aircraft systems or drones. Reminder that if you fly we can’t, unauthorized drone flights pose serious risks to firefighter and public safety and the effectiveness of wildfire suppression operations. 

Please stay out of the fire area. There is still active fire behavior in the fire area. There are multiple roads and bridges that have been destroyed or are impassable. The updated forest closure notice that encompasses both the Red Rock Fire and Garden Fire areas includes multiple road and area closures. Barricade closures will be posted at road intersections and forest boundaries. 

Evacuations: For evacuation information in Lemhi County regarding both the Red Rock and Garden fires please go to: https://www.lemhicountyidaho.org/emergency-management-department.

Rail Ridge Fire Update
Saturday, October 19, 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: 176,383 – Containment: 90% – Detection: 09/02/24 – Cause: Lightning – Personnel: 516

Operations Section Chief Morning Briefing on Facebook 

Special Notes: USFS and BLM fire area closures are still in effect. To stay informed on any changes to fire closures and Wheeler County and Grant County evacuation levels, visit https://linktr.ee/RailRidgeFire. Please remain out of closed areas for your safety and the safety of the firefighters. Fire managers are meeting daily to assess the closure areas and to discuss the upcoming hunting seasons.

Firefighting and suppression repair is a very dangerous job with many hazards. Some of those hazards on the Rail Ridge Fire recently include slick roads and adverse driving conditions due to cold weather and precipitation, fire-weakened hazard trees, heavy equipment operations, long drive times to the fireline and operating chainsaws. NW Team 2 has successfully mitigated the risks of these hazards and has experienced zero accidents and only one illness.

Fire Behavior & Weather: After a chilly start, Friday afternoon temperatures ranged from low to mid-40s at high elevations, to upper 50s in the warmer valleys. Minimum humidity dropped to 30-40 percent in the driest locations. Winds from the south-southwest 5-10 mph with a few gusts to 15 mph turned out of the west-northwest late in the afternoon. Fire behavior will be minimal until sufficient drying occurs. Primary fire behavior characteristics include smoldering ground fuels with very limited creeping and possibly some flare-ups when there is alignment between an ignition source, sunshine, aspect, wind, and elevation. A warming, drying trend is anticipated over the next few days.

Operations Yesterday: Between the Incident Command Post and the Rager Forward Operating Base there are more than 500 personnel assigned to assist with the Rail Ridge Fire. Today, the Situation Unit Leader along with Geographic Information System (GIS) professionals created a computer application called the Rail Ridge Fire Suppression Repair Dashboard so the team can track the work being done on the ground. To date, firefighters have built 22 miles of handline, 85 miles of dozer line, 48 miles of other fireline, and have used 99 miles of road as containment line to protect the values at risk.

Operations Today: The shaded fuel break at FS Road 3850 is expected to be complete by end of shift today. The main objective there is to ensure that the community of Dayville and other unincorporated areas are protected now and in the event of future fires. A shaded fuel break is a strip of land where the vegetation is altered to reduce the amount of fuel available for a fire. This is done by removing or modifying the understory vegetation while keeping the canopy intact. Shaded fuel breaks help to improve fire safety, enhance forest health, and reduce the intensity and severity of wildfires.

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

Bird Hunting and The Rail Ridge Fire

Wether you’re trying to fill that fall turkey tag or chasing Chukars on steep terrain, take a moment to review the current wildfire emergency closure areas. It’s always a good idea to know before you go. Good luck out there!

Bird Hunting - Currently open‌:

Eurasian collared dove and mourning dove, ruffed and blue grouse, mourning dove, rooster pheasant, chukar/Hungarian partridge, California and mountain quail, eastern fall turkey, duck, coot, goose, and Wilson's snipe, goose.

East Area, Bird Hunting Recreation Report - https://myodfw.com/recreation-report/game-bird-hunting-report/east-area

Safety hazards while hunting near the Rail Ridge Fire area:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/ochoco/alerts-notices/?aid=9126

Hunting and Fire Danger in Oregon: https://myodfw.com/articles/hunting-and-fire-danger-oregon

 

FUN FACT

“In 1882 the Willamette Valley of Oregon was the site of the first successful introduction of ring-necked pheasants in the United States. Those birds were transported by sea directly from China by Judge Owen Denny. The transplanted birds found perfect habitat and soon populations burgeoned into the tens of thousands.” Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife https://myodfw.com/

October 18, 2024

FROM: Sheridan County Emergency Management

Sheridan County Wyoming Contact: 307-675-2569, scema@sheridancountywy.gov

For Immediate Release

Press Release: New Change to Evacuation Map for the Elk Fire

For Immediate Release: October 18, 2024 11:00 a.m. Contact: Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office

The Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office and Incident Command are working closely together to reevaluate the evacuation status levels for the areas in proximity to the Elk Fire. With the welcome precipitation yesterday and overnight and expected fire behavior, we will be downgrading several areas.

Effective immediately:

The following area has been downgraded to a “Set” status:

• The area West of Slack Road and East Pass Creek Road, including the Northwest section of Pass Creek Rd to the Montana line, West to the Forest Service boundary. This also includes the Little Horn Canyon Cabins.
• Rapid Creek, Red Grade area- the area west of Bear Gulch Trail to Bear Gulch Road continuing in a southeasterly manner to Hidden Valley Road, continuing south to the US Forest Service boundary. This includes all cabins within the Teepee Cabin group, all cabins in the Black Tooth Cabin Association and homes on Lower Hideaway Lane, Red Poll Lane, and Upper Hideaway Lane. This also includes Stumpy Ridge, Helsberg, and Folley Ranch. As well as cabins along FSR 296.
• Highway 335 at the Intersection of Brinton Road will open today.
• Red Grade Road at the winter closure point will remain a hard closure. Only fire personnel and law enforcement will be allowed in that area.

Officials will continue to monitor fire behavior and assess the need to change any evacuation levels and road closures on an as needed basis.

We encourage everyone to monitor the Sheridan County Facebook page and the Sheridan County website for the most up-to-date information.

Thank you for your cooperation as we work to ensure the safety of all residents.

Sheridan County Emergency Management Phone: 307-752-2174

The Elk Fire hotline number is: 307-303-7642

Sheridan County Web Site: www.sheridancountywy.gov Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SheridanCountyGovernment for live updates.

Rescinding Order
Beaverhead-Deerlodge NF

Pursuant to Title 36, Code of Federal Regulation 261.50 (a) & (b), the prohibition listed in Order Number 01-002-04-24-18, applicable to the Beaverhead-Deerlodge NF, dated October 3, 2024 and signed by Alfred Watson, Forest Supervisor, is hereby rescinded, effective October 18, 2024 at 11:59 p.m.
 

Location: 8 miles east of Helmville, MT, 0.5 miles north of Nevada Lake

Start Date: 10/14/2024

Cause: Escaped Prescribed Burn   

Size: 208 acres

Containment: 10%

79 Total Personnel;          5 Engines;            2 Helicopters;     2 Hand Crews;   3 Heavy Equipment

CURRENT STATUS

The Nevada Lake Fire is currently 208 acres and burning in open grass and heavy timber on the Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) Nevada Lake Wildlife Management Area (WMA) and private land east of Helmville, Montana. The wildfire is the result of a FWP escaped prescribed burn ignited on Monday, October 14, north of Nevada Lake on the WMA. The burn was declared a wildfire when the prescribed fire escaped containment lines. The DNRC is managing the wildfire response. 

On Thursday, October 17, resources completed line construction around the fire perimeter and continued “mop up” operations, or extinguishing all heat and hot spots close to the line to better secure it. Today, efforts will focus on reinforcing control line, with helicopters providing air support as needed. The fire is 10% contained, with containment measuring how much of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by control line that managers are confident fire will not progress across. 

Several days of work are anticipated to secure unburned areas of fuel within the fire perimeter and complete mop-up operations in burned sections near the control lines. 

WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR

The fire did receive rain on Thursday which helped dampen fire behavior and aided firefighters as they worked to increase fire containment. Gradual warming and drying will occur today and into the weekend, accompanied by variable winds less than 10 mph. Cooler temperatures and scattered showers are expected for Monday.

EVACUATIONS AND CLOSURES

There are no evacuations or closures, but the public is asked to avoid the area. Area residents should be vigilant and remain prepared. For updates, visit https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/mtmts-nevada-lake-fireand monitor the Powell County Sheriff's Office Facebook page. 

For tips on being prepared for wildfire, please visit https://www.mtfireinfo.org/pages/preparedness.   

October 21, 2024 Update: Pile burning activities in the Crazy Mountains are postponed due to drier than expected conditions and high winds.

Depending on weather conditions, pile burning activities may begin as soon as October 21st in the northwestern Crazy Mountains, specifically in the Smith Creek and Sunlight Road areas. The Crazy Mountains are located north of Livingston, MT. The piles to be burned are part of the Smith Shields Forest Health project and are a result of thinning to improve forest health and reduce fuels to moderate fire intensity along key corridors. Smoke and flames may be visible, please do not report. 

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: 530-338-0317      Media Line: 909-855-4233               Hours: 08:00am to 8:00pm

Location: Shasta County, CA                                             Start Date:  Wednesday, October 9, 2024, at 6:57 p.m.    

Cause: Human caused                                                       Size: 4,186 acres                                                    

Percent Contained:  8%                                                   Vegetation: Timber, Chapparal 

Number of Personnel Assigned: 1,333

A red flag warning is currently in effect today until Saturday afternoon. Ground crews have been engaged in reinforcing existing containment lines through use of dozers and hand crews. Overall fire conditions have shown improvement; overnight infrared readings have shown less heat and minimal growth from the previous day. Additional resources continue to arrive to provide further support. Structural assessment teams are actively evaluating risks to residential properties along the Fenders Ferry corridor. A mobile retardant base has been established in Big Bend. These mobile retardant bases function as portable facilities that mix and store fire retardant, thereby enhancing aerial firefighting operations if needed.

WEATHER: Strong north to northeast winds will continue to bring gusty winds today through Saturday morning. Strong winds are expected this morning with wind gusts reaching up to 40mph. Downslope winds will have a stronger drying effect on surrounding fuels causing a faster drop in humidity levels.

EVACUATIONS:  Mandatory evacuations remain in place for zone LKH-1448-B. Residents who have not evacuated are encouraged to do so. Evacuation information and alerts can be found by visiting protect.genasys.com

Information staff for the Shoe Fire are working diligently to provide timely and accurate information to the public. Fire updates can be found on the Shoe Fire 2024 Facebook page: www.facebook.com/2024ShoeFire/

FIRE AND SMOKE MAP:

Updates on smoke conditions can be found under the following link

https://outlooks.wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlook/59ecb6c0?

ROAD CLOSURES:

• 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

FOREST CLOSURES:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/stnf/alerts-notices/?cid=stelprdb5392380