Incident Publication

Middle Fork Complex Fire Update

October 13, 2024

Middle Fork Complex Fire Information: 208-992-3045 (8 a.m. - 8 p.m.)

Email: 2024.middleforkcomplex@firenet.gov

Middle Fork Complex: 61,495 acres, 90% completed, 114 personnel

Snag Fire: 33,437 acres, 90% completed, 19 personnel

Goat Fire: 34,920 acres, 20% completion, 203 personnel

Weather: Humidity yesterday initially dropped lower than expected, but then recovered throughout the day.  A light cloud covering also stayed in the area with temperatures in the upper 60s and low 70s. Today, there will be a cloud covering early and temperatures in the 70s with clearer skies moving in after noon. Winds will mainly be terrain driven as the smoke conditions improve around the fire. Wednesday and Thursday are still forecast to bring much cooler and possibly wet weather. By Wednesday, there is a 50% chance of a wetting rain and by Thursday, there is an 80% chance of some snow at high elevations on the fire area.

Goat Fire: The northern flank of the Goat Fire is in monitor status, where there is still a little bit of smoke in the Rice Creek area and around the Yellow Jacket Trailhead. South of Warm Lake, crews will continue to prep the contingency line along the Bear Creek Road. Crews and equipment remain in the Yellow Jacket Trail area keeping an eye on hot spots, ready to take suppression action where needed.

On the south flank of the fire, firefighters and engines will be on the 678 and 671 roads today to continue to mop up and will cut hazard trees along the road in order to get these roads back to a safe travel condition. Crews will also be monitoring the fires edge that is continuing to back down towards the Middle Fork in the area where it hasn’t completely reached the river, helping it along as necessary to secure the fire edge.

Snag Fire: The Snag Fire continues to see little fire activity. Crews are continuing to patrol and monitor the area looking for hot spots, keeping an eye on the Middle Fork on the west side, and will utilize aviation support as needed if there is any increase in fire activity. Repair work consisting of road grading continues on the southern end of the Snag Fire should be complete today.

Middle Fork Complex: Fire behavior on the Nellie and Bulldog continues to show little activity and no growth is expected, remaining in patrol status. Firefighters are completing repair work on the 555 Road. This work needs to be completed before the road can be reopened and includes cleanout culverts and hazard tree removal.

Notice: Please be aware there will be increased fire traffic in the Warm Lake area from firefighters and equipment traveling to the Logan Fire that is burning near Edwardsburg. General deer hunting season started this week, and hunters should be aware of additional fire traffic in the area. 

Closures: The Boise National Forest has issued a revised Area, Road, and Trail Closure Order for the Middle Fork Complex, and Snag and Goat fires. The revised closure order and map can be found at the following link: 

https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/boise/alerts-notices.

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Important Message: For the second time in two days, a civilian drone entered the restricted airspace over the Tiger Creek Fire, forcing fire managers to halt aerial firefighting operations and once again cause a critical delay in wildfire suppression efforts. According to Marshall Wallace, Region 6 Unmanned Air Support (UAS) Specialist, “Due to the drone incursion, operations had to halt air operations for at least 30 minutes until the airspace was confirmed clear.” When drones fly within the Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR), airtankers and helicopters cannot safely operate. These suspensions put lives, property, and natural resources at risk by allowing the fire to grow and spread beyond containment lines. Wallace continued, “While the safety of the crews remains the number one priority, a violation of a TFR can result in a $10,000 fine from the FAA.”  

Current Situation:  The fire remains at 534 acres and due to the hard work of firefighters on the line containment has increased to 53 percent with 392 firefighting resources still assigned. As of Saturday, crews have completed line construction around the entire fire. The steep, difficult terrain will be patrolled daily with direct handline containment continuing to increase. Firefighters will begin the task of collecting over four miles of hose lay around the fire. On Saturday, road crews began repairing and grading all gravel and dirt roads leading to the fire. Thank you to the community for your continued support and cooperation as we work to keep everyone safe. 

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: Beginning today, a warm and dry trend will settle in for the next few days with highs in the 60s to 70s and light northwest wind at three to six miles per hour.  For the next few days, humidity likely will stay around 15 to 30 percent. Cloud cover will begin to move in Tuesday with a chance of rain in the fire area. There is a chance of snowfall at higher elevations beginning Wednesday into Thursday.   

Smoke: Walla Walla’s air quality for today is good to moderate. 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.   

Pack Trail Daily Update October 13, 2024

Total Acres: 75,370

Confined: 62%

Total Personnel: 611

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. The Upper Gros Ventre area, including Goosewing and Elk Track Ranches in Teton County, has been placed under a Level 2 “Set” Evacuation Warning. Evacuations and evacuation alerts for several subdivisions and ranches in Fremont County, WY remain in place. 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.

Operations – Today, calm wind conditions should result in less active fire behavior. Yesterday, light winds and dry weather also helped moderate the fire’s activity. The Pack Trail Fire continued to back into the areas around Cowboy Camp, Strawberry Warming Hut, and Fish Creek Guard Station, where firefighters used aircraft to temper persistent fire behavior while cleaning up hotspots, patrolling, and refilling tanks for sprinkler systems set up for point protection. The fire remains contained north of Union Pass Road. On the west flank, firefighters are patrolling the Burnt Ridge area as the fire creeps slowly downhill. Structure protection crews are wrapping buildings, installing hose lays, and setting up sprinklers at Elk Track Ranch and in the Gros Ventre area. Ground crews are completing a shaded fuel break on 540 Road, east off Highway 26. Overnight on the south side, active fire behavior persisted as crews observed fire behavior near buffalo meadow. On the north side, no new fire activity was observed, but some heat remains in the interior, with smoke still visible. Crews continue patrolling for new smoke and fire growth

Safety - Drivers on US-26 may experience periods of smoke today due to high winds. Please use caution while driving, use headlights, and expect to encounter fire vehicles along the road. If planning travel on US-26 across the Continental Divide monitor WY-DOT for possible closures due to fire activity.

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. Due to excessively dry fuels, any spark can ignite fire which can spread rapidly, becoming a large fire and exhibit extreme fire intensity. Residents and visitors are urged to exercise extreme caution with fire or possible ignition sources. Always build your 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 make sure your fire is dead out and cool to touch before you go to sleep, or leave the area. 

Weather – Today’s weather conditions present the potential for moderate fire behavior. The forecast calls for partly cloudy skies, with temperatures ranging from the low to mid-60s. Winds will come from the south at 6 MPH, with gusts reaching up to 13 MPH. Relative humidity will be between 19% and 24%. To learn more about air quality, visit Fire.AirNow.Gov. 

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 #04-03-24-316 is in effect from October 9, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. through November 1, 2024 at 6:00 a.m. unless rescinded. This order supersedes previous orders, including #04-03-24-315, 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 

Logan Fire Statistics:

Size: 14,571 acres

Completion: 10%

Total Personnel: 294

Cause: Lightning

Location: Edwardsburg/Big Creek and into the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness on the north and south sides of Big Creek in the wilderness.

Weather: Temperatures will remain in the mid 60’s and the winds will be lighter, sustained at 2-5 miles per hour and mostly terrain driven. Relative humidity will be around 25%. A predicted storm is expected to begin moving into the area late Tuesday and into Wednesday.  

Current Situation:  Yesterday, the fire continued to burn on portions of the Hogback ridge, and firefighters worked to reinforce the lines to keep the fire from moving onto the east side and into Edwardsburg. Some additional growth was seen on Smith Creek, and on Logan Mountain as it continued to fill in and consume the fuels along the corridor. Firefighters were holding and improving the existing handlines west of Big Creek Road and were successful protecting private property in that area.  The night shift crews, and two engines, strengthened control lines in and around the town of Edwardsburg. This group is holding the lines and suppressing any flare ups as they provide the 24-hour coverage to protect the residences and infrastructure in the area.  Today, there is a possibility of spotting up to 1000-feet ahead of the main fire front. Spotting is when an ember is carried by the wind and lands beyond the fire perimeter. Crews will work at Smith’s Creek bridge if possible, to help protect the bridge, and check the wrapping that is in place to reduce risk of it burning, if the fire makes it there. Firefighters will continue to hold Big Creek Road and help improve access along Logan Creek Road to get to the homes in that corridor. The structure protection group will remove fallen trees to open road access and improve the water systems for the sprinkler coverage over those homes and structures.

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 Sherriff 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.

Yellow Lake Fire 
Incident Update October 13, 2024

Size at time of update: 29,730
Containment: 23%
Personnel: 848
Start: Saturday, September 28, 2024
Cause: Undetermined
Location: 10 miles southeast of Francis, Utah

 A public meeting will be held at 3:00 p.m. this afternoon at the Kamas Middle School Auditorium to present Yellow Lake Fire information and to address questions from the community.  It will be live streamed on the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache and Ashley National Forests’ Facebook pages. 

On Saturday, winds from the South pushed the northern boundary of the Yellow Lake Fire across Soapstone Basin towards Iron Mine Road.  Night operations reported a few “glows” of heat but, nothing substantial.

Fire operations near Iron Mine Road are strategically focusing on primary and secondary lines to keep the fire from impacting the use of Mirror Lake Highway, SR 150.  Weather conditions are expected to generate similar fire behavior this afternoon with predicted winds from the South and Southeast.

Fire activity on the east side has stalled, continuing to creep around at higher elevations near Lightning Ridge.  Structure protection remains in place, where needed, over the entire fire area.

On the southern flank of the fire, dozer work and handlines are being used to provide extra buffers between Rhodes Canyon and Wolf Creek Pass, SR 35. Indirect line is being used to tie in sections of the fire line near the West Fork of the Duchesne. Hazard trees in the area prevent safe construction of direct line. Completed hand lines and hose lays in the Heart Lake area, remain intact. Chippers will be used today to remove fuels and to clean up the fire perimeter near the Mill Hollow Guard Station.

Fuel types, terrain, and weather patterns are the driving forces behind fire behavior. Operational tactics are adapted accordingly as conditions change.  Cloud cover on ridges this afternoon could produce minimal precipitation, but fire crews are also alerted to potential downdraft winds that may result as well. Some firefighting crews and resources are timing out, additional crews and equipment are coming in to maintain operational momentum.

A public meeting will be held in Tabiona at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, October 14th in the old high school gymnasium.

Forest Closures:

• Updated October 11, 2024, a closure has been increased on the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest due to the Yellow Lake Fire. This Order shall remain in effect until October 31, 2024, unless rescinded.
  https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1208350.pdf
• Updated October 11, 2024, a closure has been increased on the Ashley National Forest due to the Yellow Lake Fire. This closure will remain in place through December 31, 2024, or until rescinded, for public safety.

Evacuation Areas: The North and West Forks of the Duchesne River, and Granddaddy Lakes area are under a mandatory GO evacuation meaning all residents, hunters, and recreationists must leave and stay out of the area. Hanna is under a SET order, advising residents to have bags packed and be prepared to evacuate if necessary.

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

Closure reduction and Closure termination

Red Rock Fire

Operations: Yesterday, dozers built line from the cobalt mine west toward Blackbird Mountain. South of Blackbird Road, crews built handline along the fire’s edge and checked for remaining heat. Along FR 020 Ridge Road, aerial ignitions continued towards the south and helicopters dropped water on hot spots to hold the fire on the ridge. On the south side of the fire, firefighters continued to mop up, remove hazard trees, and check for any remaining heat. A small area of hand ignitions were conducted to hold the fire on FR 112 near Yellowjacket. Crews and heavy equipment constructed direct line around the head of the Napias spot fire.

Garden Fire

Operations: Crews continued to secure and mop up the fire in Panther Creek and the Salmon River Corridor. While little growth was observed, firefighters do have contingency lines and ignition plans in place should the fire move to the west.

Additional Information

Weather: Sunday will be a little warmer with similar humidity values with light and variable winds. Temperatures forecasted to be in the 60s and the relative humidity will fall to around 15-25%. The warm and dry conditions will continue on Monday and Tuesday with a southwest wind gusting to around 15 mph along the ridgetops and along Panther Creek.

Smoke: Helpful tips for protecting yourself from smoke are available. A smoke outlook is also available.  

Closures: Salmon‐Challis National Forest has implemented a reduced Red Rock and Garden Fires Closure, Order Number: 04‐13‐24‐024. View the new reduced closure order. 

Special Notes: The Salmon River Road and the Salmon River to float boating is open. All restriction along the Salmon River have been terminated.

Safety: 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. 

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: 9,529  Railroad Fire Acres: 1,450  Completion: 56% 

Total Personnel: 238 

Current Status : Fire progressed to the southwest towards Skalkaho Hwy 38. Dozer and handline continued on the Gird/Skalkaho ridge. Firefighters continued firing off the dozer line creating a wide blackline in efforts to slow fires progression. Multiple helicopters aided firefighters during firing operations.  

In the Stoney creek area, crews continued a shaded fuel break along Coal Creek Road and utilized a Chipper to minimize ground fuels. Structure protection will remain in place at this time. 

 Weather and Fire Behavior : Continued high pressure is expected to bring warm and dry conditions with daily winds increasing through Wednesday. Temps are predicted to be 15-20 degrees above normal through early next week. Poor relative humidity recoveries can be expected with an increased potential of active fire growth. 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 : For additional information on the Skalkaho Hwy 38 road closure visit Montana Department of Transportation. 

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 order’s 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. 

Location: San Bernardino County, CA                                                         Start Date: September 5, 2024

Size: 43,978 acres                                                                                         Percent Contained: 96%

Cause: Human                                                                                               Personnel: 577

CURRENT SITUATION:

Despite stronger winds this week, containment lines around the Line Fire remain uncompromised. Line improvement and backhaul activities continue to consume a great deal of firefighters’ time, along with suppression repair on roads, drainages, corridors, and dozer lines. Resource advisors are lending expertise and monitoring rehabilitation efforts around and within the perimeter of the fire.

Visible smoke may still be seen well within the fire perimeter where terrain has made access difficult. Yesterday, a helitack crew was inserted along the fire’s uncontained perimeter near Bear Creek. The operation was successful, and containment was increased in this area. Helicopter operations in the Cold Creek area confirmed lines are holding, where unburned vegetation continues to be consumed within the fire perimeter. Overall, fire behavior has decreased, yet firefighters are staying engaged and prepared for initial attack if needed.

Temperature is slowly dropping and humidity is increasing, but fire danger remains high. The public is asked to be extremely diligent and fire wise. Yesterday marked the start of modern gun hunting season, and the public is reminded that the San Bernardino National Forest has issued closures for areas surrounding the fire.

WEATHER:

Increasing humidity and lower temperatures will further aid containment progression. No growth is expected, thanks to light winds and higher relative humidity recoveries. 

CLOSURES:

San Bernardino National Forest has issued closures for areas surrounding the Line Fire. For more information and to see the map use this link -  https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/sbnf/?cid=FSEPRD1181411. 

Highway 330 remains closed from Highland Avenue to Highway 18 as CalTrans performs repairs to the road and guardrails. 

EVACUATIONS: 

There are currently no evacuation warnings or orders for communities in or around the Line Fire. 

October 12, 2024:  The Inversion did not lift over the Birch Fire area.  Between 3:30 pm and 4:30 pm, there was some clearing of the skies but not over the fire area.  At 5:00 pm, the inversion settled back in over the area.  Minimal fire activity in the East Fork of Indian Creek, fire is burning the upper third of the west side of the drainage.  There was an infrared flight from last night, updated acres is 21,729 acres.  Growth was in Indian Creek with the rest of the fire showing little activity. 

On Saturday, firefighters continued to work hot spots mainly in the interior of the fire area. The work that the firefighters completed over the past week was tested by the higher winds. Their efforts proved to be successful as the fire lines held. 

Today, there in an increase in containment to 75%. 

In the coming days, Suppression Repair work will begin in some areas. Suppression repair is the work done to repair or minimize the fire impacts to resources and lands that resulted from firefighting activities.