Incident Publication

All National Forest System Lands, roads and trails within the described area as shown on Exhibit A Pack Trail Fire area, road, and trail closure map are closed.

PURPOSE
The purpose of this Order is to protect public safety during Pack Trail Fire.

IMPLEMENTATION

1. This Order shall be in effect from October 14, 2024, at 12:00 P.M. through November 15, 2024, at 12:00 A.M., unless rescinded.

2. A map identifying the Described Area/Roads/Trails is attached and made part of this Order as Exhibit A. For a digital version of this Order and Exhibit A, go to https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/btnf/alerts-notices

3. Unless otherwise expressly defined in this Order, the terms used in this Order are defined by the regulations of the Secretary of Agriculture, 36 C.F.R. Chapter II, Parts 200-299. If there are terms in this Order that are not expressly defined in the Order or 36 C.F.R. Chapter II, Parts 200-299, their meaning shall be determined by their plain language definitions.

4. A violation of the above prohibitions is punishable as a Class B misdemeanor by a fine of not more than $5,000 for individuals and $10,000 for organizations, or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or both. 16 U.S.C. § 551; 18 U.S.C. §§ 3559, 3571, and 3581.

5. Contact the Jackson Ranger District in Jackson, WY, (307) 739-5400, Pinedale Ranger District in Pinedale, WY, (307) 367- 4326 and Bridger-Teton National Forest Supervisor’s Office in Jackson, WY, (307) 739- 5500, or the Wind River Ranger District in Dubois, WY, (307) 455-2466 for more information about this Order.

6. This Order supersedes any previous Orders prohibiting the same or similar acts in the same Described Area.
Signed and issued on October 14, 2024.

Pack Trail Daily Update October 15, 2024

Total Acres: 86,555

Confined: 62%

Total Personnel: 613         

CACIMT10 will transition command of the fire to Great Basin CIIMT5 at 0700 tomorrow, October 16th.

Operations – Today, shifting winds, picking up in the afternoon, will likely lead to increased fire activity. Yesterday, on the east side of the fire, ground crews secured hot spots along the 540 Road, continued cleaning up containment lines along Trout Creek.  On the South side, the Pack Trail Fire continued to slowly move into areas around Cowboy Camp, Strawberry Warming Hut, and Fish Creek Guard Station. Firefighters utilized aircraft to suppress hot spots, while mopping up, patrolling, maintaining and testing sprinkler systems set up around homes and other values at risk. The fire remains confined north of Union Pass Road. On the west flank, in the Gros Ventre River Basin, firefighters are patrolling the Burnt Ridge area and also using aircraft to slow the fire’s incursion into the valley. There has been a major effort to prepare and protect a stand of endangered White Bark Pine. The structure protection group continues wrapping buildings in protective foil, laying hose lines, and setting up sprinkler systems around additional structures. Night crews continue to patrol accessible areas of the fire and reported there was minimal fire activity in the interior and nothing that threatened the containment lines overnight. 

Safety – 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. 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. Due to excessively dry fuels, 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. Always build campfires away from dry grass, leaves, and overhanging branches to reduce the risk of spreading wildfire. Clear at least a 10-foot perimeter around your fire, removing any flammable material, and have enough water on hand to ensure your fire is dead out and cool to the touch before you go to sleep or leave the area. 

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. “If you fly, we can’t.” 

Weather – Today’s weather conditions present the potential for increased fire behavior in the afternoon as winds shift directions coming from the SW at 8-12 MPH, with gusts reaching up to 20 MPH. The forecast calls for high temps in the 60’s and relative humidity between 18% and 22%.

Smoke will be a factor in many areas surrounding the fire. To learn more about air quality, visit Fire.AirNow.Gov. 

Evacuations – Brooks Lake Lodge, Pinnacle Cabins, Falls Camp, and Long Creek have been reduced to a Level 2 “Set” Evacuation Warning. Level 3 “Go” evacuation orders remain in effect for Lava Mountain Lodge and McKenzie Highland Ranch. The Dunoir Road Corridor has been reduced to a Level 1 “Ready” Evacuation Warning. 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 District (BTNF) from Mosquito Lake to the DuNoir on the Wind River District (SHO).

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 – October 15, 2024

Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team 3

Casey Cheesbrough, Incident Commander 

Size: 91,905  acres (2,590-acre increase)

Total Personnel: 939

Containment: 26 percent

Cause: Lightning

Resources: 13 aircraft | 19 crews | 67 engines | 8 dozers | 19 water tenders | 5 masticators | 8 skidders | 5 feller bunchers 4 processor | 3 chippers

Key Messages: Expect increased fire activity and smoke today because of unseasonably warm temperatures, low humidity, and extremely dry fuels. 

The Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office released updates to evacuation statuses and road closures yesterday. Evacuation status for an area southwest of Dayton near Horseshoe Road changed from Go to Set, allowing residents to return to the area. Some roads near Dayton, Parkman, and Sheridan were re-opened to the public. For more detailed information about evacuation statuses and road closures go to the Sheridan County Emergency Management website: tinyurl.com/2s38bcc5.

Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) opened portions of US 14 and US 14A previously closed due to the Elk Fire. WYDOT opened US 14 from Greybull to Burgess Junction and US 14A from Burgess Junction to Lovell. 

US 14 from Burgess Junction east to Dayton remains closed. View the WYDOT road-closure map here: wyoroad.info.

Current Situation: Warm, dry conditions yesterday intensified fire activity. Along the southern edge, the fire continued to move southeast toward the seven-mile-long control line that was created over the last several days. Overnight, it crossed Rapid Creek. Night operations inserted a hotshot crew, that created handline to slow the fire’s forward progression at the Forest Service Trail 238. 

Further south of the fire, crews continued the ongoing work of widening and clearing trees and vegetation with heavy equipment along Red Grade Road. Today, additional crews from the recently completed chipping operations along the 144 Road north of the fire will join in the work along Red Grade Road.

Crews continue to improve structure protection in the Burgess Junction area, while also using heavy equipment to widen and clear the 15 and 16 Roads to create a box of fireline around the area.

An aerial reconnaissance flight detected some fire activity in the northwest corner of the fire yesterday. Crews worked quickly to create a control line and secure the area. Patrols will continue in the northwest corner of the fire, along the north side near the 144 Road, and along the containment line on the eastern side of the fire to mop-up any hotspots.  

Weather & Fire Behavior: Today’s temperatures will be up to 20 degrees higher than normal for this time of year and will combine with relative humidity as low as 16 percent to produce a high probability of significant fire activity and smoke production. For air-quality and smoke information, go to airnow.gov. 

Evacuations and Closures: For information on Johnson County evacuations, go to Johnson County Emergency Management’s Facebook page: facebook.com/JohnsonCoWYEMC. For info on Sheridan County evacuations and road closures, go to the Sheridan County Emergency Management website: tinyurl.com/2s38bcc5. You can also call the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office (307-672-3455) or Sheridan County Emergency Management (307-752-2174). The Red Cross has an evacuation center at the Sheridan County Fairgrounds that can accommodate people, RVs/campers, pets, and livestock.  Call 307-752-2174 or 307-683-6965 to make arrangements. US Highway 14 is closed between Burgess Junction and Dayton. View the Wyoming Department of Transportation road-closure map here: wyoroad.info. Bighorn National Forest closure has been expanded to include Forest System Roads 319 and a portion of 226 and Forest System Trail 200 and a portion of Trail 038 under Order 02-02-06-24-08. The order and map can be viewed here: fs.usda.gov/alerts/bighorn/alerts-notices. 

Elk Fire Information:

Phone: 307-303-7642 (8 am to 8 pm) 

Email: 2024.Elk@firenet.gov

Linktree: linktr.ee/2024ElkFire

Current Situation:  The Tiger Creek fire remains at 534 acres, containment has increased to 83%, and personnel assigned to the fire now stands at 270. Yesterday, spot fires were located to the southwest of Low Ridge. Firefighters assisted by air resources quickly mitigated all areas of concern. Firefighters remain vigilant in patrolling the fire line to ensure the fire is secure. While the fire remains in its current footprint, most of the work is now on mop up and backhaul of equipment. Water bars have been installed on the handline and hazardous trees removed on much of Forest Service Road 65 within the burned area. 

A total of 15 miles of fire hose was utilized on the Tiger Creek Fire. This is the equivalent of the driving distance between Walla Walla and Kooskooskie, or 265 football fields! All that hose is now being backhauled from the fireline. Once backhauled, each hose will be sent to the La Grande fire cache, where it will undergo thorough cleaning, testing, and inspection. After this process, the hoses will be prepared and ready for redeployment to assist with the next incident, wherever that may be. This backhaul effort is a critical step in ensuring equipment is ready for the next wildfire response, and it’s a testament to the dedication and hard work of the fire crews in maintaining the tools needed for future firefighting efforts. 

Closures and Restrictions: Access through Forest Service Road (FSR) 65 up through FSR 64 to the junction with Indian Camp is closed. Government Mountain Road/FSR 6511 is closed from North Fork Walla Walla trailhead to the junction with FSR 65 at Tiger Saddle. Government Mountain Rd/FSR 6511 is open from the west to North Fork Walla Walla trailhead. The current fire danger rating is MODERATE and public use restrictions phase A for Umatilla National Forest are in effect. For more information regarding restrictions, please contact Umatilla National Forest Toll-free Information Hotline: 1.877.958.9663.  

Weather: It will remain sunny with temperatures in the 60s and 70s during the day, with winds about 9 miles per hour, but a cold front will arrive on Tuesday night and bring with it some precipitation, starting out as a light rain, with snow showers later at higher elevations. Wednesday has a 100% chance of precipitation and temperatures in the 50s. 

Smoke: Walla Walla’s air quality for today is good, some residents along Mill Creek may experience smoke as the fire continues to burn. Check out https://wasmoke.blogspot.com/?m=1 for more information.   

Type 3 Incident Command Team, Incident Commander Matt Young   

Location: Bitterroot NF: Railroad Creek/ Skalkaho Creek confluence, 26 miles southeast of Hamilton

               Beaverhead-Deerlodge NF: 20 Miles northwest of Georgetown Lake Dam off  Skalkaho Hwy 38 

Start Date: 7/25/2024  

Cause: Undetermined     

Daly Fire Acres: 10,837  Railroad Fire Acres: 1,546 Completion: 56% 

Total Personnel: 265 

NOTE: Official Transfer of Command will take place on Wednesday 10/16/24 to Justin Abbey, Type 3 IC 

Current Status :Today dozer line was completed from upper Buckhorn Saddle to Gird Cr. Road FS #714. An Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) was utilized in firing operations to remove pockets of fuel between the blackline and the fires edge. Multiple helicopters aided firefighters with buckets of water to suppress areas of heat along fire perimeter. 

 In efforts to prevent hazard trees from falling across Skalkaho Hwy 38, sawyers continued cutting standing dead trees and used a woodchipper to shred limbs into smaller wood chips. 

Today, crews will hold and monitor previous firing operations. After assessment of the fire, firefighters will analyze the need for more UAS firing of unburned fuels between blackline and fires edge. Sawers will continue clean up above Skalkaho Hwy 38 removing the amount standing dead snags and will continue chipping ground fuels. 

Weather and Fire Behavior : Warm and dry conditions are forecast again today. Southwest wind gusts of 10-15 mph are predicted across mid slopes and ridge tops. These conditions will likely bring elevated fire weather conditions and may bring smoke into the Bitterroot Valley today. A cold front is expected to arrive Wednesday evening and may bring gusty winds up to 25mph. This front will bring cooler temperatures and periods of precipitation through the end of the week. Thursday snow is forecast to fall at 4,000 feet in elevation. 

There is a 50% probability for at least 2” of snow over mountain passes by Friday morning. 

EVACUATIONS: On October 9, 2024 the Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office issued an Evacuation Warning for residents off of Skalkaho Highway (1700-2500 block) due to the Railroad-Daly Fire. For more information on evacuations visit the Ravalli County Sheriff Facebook page.  

To register your phone number for emergency notifications in Ravalli County visit, http://hyper-reach.com/mtravallisignup.html. 

CLOSURES  : The Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest has issued an Area/Road/Trail Closure effective October 4, 2024.  

The Bitterroot National Forest has also issued a road closure effective October 10, 2024. 

These orders are for public and firefighter safety during fire suppression efforts on the Fire.  

Closure information and maps are posted on the Bitterroot and Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forests’ website www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/bdnf/alerts-notices and www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/bitterroot/alerts-notices. 

October 14:  The inversion began to lift around 1:00 pm and by 3:00 pm there was clear air on the entire fire area.  With the clear air, fire behavior increased with weather in the 80s and relative humidity dropping as low as 13%.  The perimeter of the fire remains active.  In the Middle fork of Indian Creek, fire activity was observed in the higher elevations of the drainage, in the drainage bottom was fire activity was limited to isolated smokes and some creeping into Indian Creek. In the East Fork on Indian Creek, conditions were similar with fire activity in the higher elevations but in the drainage bottom, the fire was backing and creeping towards Indian Creek. Fire in Mowitch Creek backed down into Indian Creek, there was active fire on the southern side of the drainage where fire made a small run up the timbered south slopes. Fire has not crossed over Indian Creek.  The fire is smoldering and creeping in the creek bottoms. Areas of increased fire activity was also observed on the ridge line between East Fork of an Indian Creek and Pungo Creek.

REMINDER to join members of the Great Basin Complex Incident Management Team and Payette National Forest agency officials for an informational meeting. The meeting is being held TODAY at 12:00 P.M. at the Corner Pub in Yellow Pine, ID. Teams members and agency personnel will be available to answer questions and share updates.

Logan Fire Statistics:

Size: 15,131 acres

Completion: 10%

Total Personnel: 276

Weather: Today the temperatures will be in the mid-60’s and dropping to the low 50’s by tomorrow. Winds will be around 5-8mph with gusts up to 15 mph. There will be cloud cover through most of the day and relative humidity will be around 17%. 

Current Situation:  Yesterday, there was some heat on Hogback ridge in the late afternoon with some isolated torching. Two type 1 helicopters were launched, and they dropped buckets of water to cool the hot spots so firefighters could maintain the holding line. Crews also continued prepping the Big Creek Road down to Jacob’s Ladder Flats. Today, the firefighters are reinforcing the Back Road so it can be used as a contingency line.  A contingency fireline is used to back up primary lines to increase probability of fire containment, decrease fire losses, and improve firefighter safety. Firefighters are also backhauling sprinklers and pumps and leaving the correct amount of plumbing in place to protect the structures. The crews are still working in the Smith’s Creek area around the bridges and making sure they are protected from fire and wrapping them with protective heat shield material. The crews are also removing the fire protective wrap from the Rabbit Lookout in the wilderness area and bringing those supplies back to camp.

Evacuations: Logan Fire Edwardsburg Area - The Valley County Sheriff’s Office has placed a "GO" evacuation notice for the Edwardsburg area due to the movement of the Logan Fire. Evacuation orders will be sent out via, CodeRED. Please download the mobile app and sign up. Information is available via the Valley County Idaho website at https://www.co.valley.id.us/WildfireEvacuation  or the Valley County Sheriff’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064415776390 

Closures:  The Logan Fire has a closure around the fire on the Krassel Ranger District and the map and description are located at  https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/payette/alerts-notices  The Sheriff has closed the Warren-Profile Gap Road between Elk Summit and Profile Creek intersection just north of Yellow Pine (this is a County Road). The Big Creek Airstrip is closed.

Crews prepare for cold front moving in

Red Rock Fire 

Operations: Yesterday crews focused on searching for remaining heat to extinguish south of the cobalt mine. Crews also completed handline on the off Blackbird Road (FR 115) around the mine. More cutting of vegetation further east on Blackbird Road continued, but there are no immediate plans to conduct ignitions off that road unless necessary. Crews and unmanned aircraft used ignitions along the Ridge Road (FR 020) to Williams Creek Summit to remove fuel ahead of the southwest wind shift. Dozer line construction continued off Moyer Peak and engines patrolled and mopped up around structures in Forney, Cobalt and Moyer.

Today firefighters are preparing for forecast change in weather later this week, making sure pumps and equipment won’t freeze. With the incoming cold front, crews are focused on the northeast corner of the fire near Williams Creek Summit where winds could test the control lines.

On the spot fire near Napias Creek, crews built additional line closer to the fire’s edge and mopped up hot spots. Today they will continue mopping up any remaining heat.

Garden Fire

Operations:  No significant fire growth was observed yesterday. Aerial reconnaissance showed many unburned areas within the perimeter. Crews will remain vigilant in their patrol and mop up.

Additional Information

Weather: Little to no change in the temperatures, humidity and winds are forecast for Tuesday. A low-level inversion in the morning will lift in the afternoon giving way to temperatures in the 60s, relative humidities around 15-25%, and southwest winds around 5 mph gusting to 16 mph. A strong cold front is forecast to travel across the Pacific Northwest on Wednesday. There is a chance of light rain in the morning with snow down to 9500 feet by the afternoon. Cool and moist air behind the front will lower snow levels Wednesday night and Thursday with rain and snow likely. Snow levels on Thursday could be as low as 5000 feet down to near 4000 feet Thursday night.

Smoke: Information about how to protect yourself from wildfire smoke is available. A smoke outlook is also available. 

Closures: Salmon‐Challis National Forest has implemented a reduced Red Rock and Garden Fires Closure, Order Number: 04‐13‐24‐026. 

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, including group torching and crown runs. There are multiple roads and bridges that have been destroyed or are impassable. Entry into evacuation zones that are in “Go” status is prohibited. 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: Evacuation information in Lemhi County regarding both the Red Rock and Garden fires is available. please go to: 

Sheridan County Press Release: Updated to list of area road closures due to the Elk Fire

See the updated list of changes to road closures due to the Elk Fire. See information regarding recent road openings as well as the current closures. 

Roads are closed to allow fire personnel to travel the roads safely, ranchers in those areas to move cattle safely, and the residents who live in those areas to travel safely as well. This list is updated when changes occur.

This is the most current information:

These Roads will reopen today 10-14:

• Columbus Creek Road
• All of Soldier Creek Road
• Beckton Road is open from Dayton to the Soldier Creek Road intersection

These Roads Are Closed to the Public Except for Fire Crew and Local Residents Only:

• All of Pass Creek Road to the Wyoming/Montana State Line 
• Slack Road at the Wyoming/Montana State Line
• Little Horn Canyon Road
• Twin Creek Road at the Parkman Access
• Smith Creek Road
• Tongue Canyon Road
• Beckton Road from the intersection of Big Goose Road to the intersection of Soldier Creek Road
• Big Goose Road from the Intersection of Big Goose Road and Beckton Road
• Rapid Creek Road
• Beckton Hall Road
• Big Horn Road
• Little Goose Canyon Road

Hard Closures for Sheridan County Roads (No One Allowed except for Fire Personnel Only) 

• All of Red Grade Road
• West of Highway 335 at the intersection of Highway 335 and Brinton Road. Local traffic and fire and law enforcement only. 

These are hard closures. There will be a heavy law enforcement presence in these areas.

Conditions are changing rapidly. 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, 307-675-2569, scema@sheridancountywy.gov 

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

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.  Here is today’s update.

The following area is now being downgraded to a “Set” status: 

Residences West on Tongue Canyon Road at the intersection of Tongue Canyon Road and Amsden Road to milepost 3.25. 

All residences in the Horseshoe Subdivision

IXL and Horseshoe Ranches

The area West of Beckton Road from Eaton’s Ranch Road to PK Lane. This includes that area West of Beckton Road to the black fire containment line. (The main Eaton’s Ranch Headquarters remains in a “Go” status.

There are no other changes to this afternoon’s evacuation map.

Officials will continue to monitor fire behavior and assess the need to change any evacuation levels. 

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, 307-675-2569, scema@sheridancountywy.gov 

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.