Louisiana Statewide Burn Ban: The state of Louisiana has declared a statewide burn ban to include any open flame outdoors. The message from the State Fire Marshal’s Office is “don’t burn anything” until further notice. Citations and arrests ARE happening across this state in partnership with local and state law enforcement agencies. 

Tiger Island Fire: The Tiger Island Fire was first reported on Tuesday, August 22nd. The fire is located east of Merryville, south of Hwy 190, SW of DeRidder and North of Singer. The fire is burning in pine plantations of multiple ages. Access to portions of the fire area is difficult. Fuel loads in these pine plantations are high. Heavy residual fuels because of Hurricane Laura in 2020 exist and contribute to extreme fire behavior.  

Acreage: 31,342 acres Containment: 50%  

Personnel and Equipment: 347 total personnel; 8 Helicopters, 2 fixed-wing aircraft, 15 Type-6 Engines, 6 Type-2 Tractor Plow Units, 16 Dozers, and 5 Ambulances. Additional support is being provided by the National Guard, Parish authorities, the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, the Louisiana State Fire Marshal Team, Beauregard Sherriff’s office, and the Office of Emergency Preparedness. The National Guard is supporting with Black Hawk helicopters and 4 dozers and the fire response is using Large Air Tankers, Scoopers, and Air Attacks.  

Operations: Wednesday’s operations reported increased fire activity near Hoosier creek on the western side of the fire and near Shin Road on the northwestern edge of the fire perimeter. Crews focused on these areas that were retaining heat and continued to establish dozer line and conduct mop up to ensure containment. Along the northern perimeter, dozers were able to connect containment line into a creek, while crews also identified a contingency line to the north of the dozer line. On the northeastern and eastern perimeters, the National Guard dozers have established containment lines giving access to engines to conduct patrol and mop up operations. The structure protection group continues to coordinate with local parishes on water usage in all areas of the fire. They also continue to assess fire hydrants and ensure structure protection resources are in place if needed.  

Weather and Fire Behavior: A Red Flag Warning is in effect from 10:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. for hot, very dry conditions with wind gusts up to 17 mph. Temperatures will continue to be in the mid to high 90s, and humidity levels will remain in the low 20s. Due to the unseasonably low humidity, the air temperature and heat index are identical, similar to conditions normally seen in west Texas, not Louisiana. Fuels remain critically dry and, combined with gusty winds, have the potential to produce extreme fire behavior.  

Air Quality: Increasing smoke in localized areas of the fire could occur due to hotter and drier weather. Expect some smoke on roads adjacent to the fire, especially in the Merryville area. If we have active fire behavior with fire progression, or new starts, there could be high levels of smoke for short durations in the vicinity of the fire. For near time air quality information see EPA's Fire and Smoke Map: https://fire.airnow.gov/  

Temporary Flight Restriction: A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) remains in place over the fire area; information is at Federal Aviation Administration website. This is necessary to protect aerial operations. If there are intrusions into the Temporary Flight Restrictions, we must ground all aircraft.  

Evacuations: Updates on evacuations and shelters can be found on the Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/beauregardsheriff.  

A National Incident Management Organization (NIMO) Team is managing the Jenkins Creek and Horse River fires under a full suppression strategy. Ensuring public and firefighter safety remains a primary priority.

Continued effort to identify and suppress sources of heat, and cooperation from the weather, has resulted in gains in containment on the Horse River Fire. The fire is now considered to be 53% contained.

Cloud cover will dissipate through the afternoon, but another weather system will enter the area Saturday evening bringing the likelihood of substantial rain over the areas of both fires throughout the weekend.

Jenkins Creek Fire Quick Facts

Size: 16,145 acres                               Containment:94%                 Personnel: 204

Yesterday, the Unmanned Aerial System (UAS/drone) flights resulted in the location of only a few hot spots that were within the interior of the fire. Crews determined that these interior sources of heat posed no threat to the integrity of the fire perimeter and chose not to engage in suppression of these heat sources. Fire behavior has been dominated by creeping and smoldering ground fire. This sort of fire behavior has been described as ‘burning downward.' With this sort of fire, crews must be mindful of fire burning deep within duff, peat, stumps, or downed heavy logs.  Crews will continue to monitor and address any fire sources as they patrol the perimeter of the fire. Recognizing that sources of heat well within the interior of the fire may remain active into the summer, operational staff have begun to identify contingency lines along existing roads removed from the existing perimeter.  Fuel reduction using masticators will begin along contingency lines in the coming days.  New mapping with the UAS and ground crews will result in future acreage adjustments.

Horse River Fire Quick Facts

Size: 13 acres                                      Containment: 53%                 Personnel: 26

Cooperation from the weather, and continued effort to identify and suppress sources of heat, has resulted in gains in containment on the Horse River Fire. The fire is now considered to be 53% contained.  Crews in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness were unable to locate any active heat within the perimeter of the Horse River Fire for the third consecutive day. Today, they will start to dismantle the remote work site area and remove non-essential firefighting equipment. 

Fire Weather & Behavior:  Showers continue into Friday morning before decreasing in the afternoon. South winds will increase late Friday into Saturday ahead of the next weather system. Gusts of 15 to 20 mph are possible. The next weather system brings showers and thunderstorms across northern Minnesota Saturday night with gusty winds expected. Showers will remain in the forecast the rest of the weekend into early next week. These conditions should diminish fire behavior on the Jenkins Creek and Horse River Fires.

Contingency Lines: Wildland fire managers use contingency lines as secondary firelines strategically placed to support primary lines in case of the breach of a perimeter fireline.  These lines can be pre-planned, as is often the case in community fire protection plans, constructed before a fire starts, or built as needed during an active fire. Commonly, contingency lines are constructed by identifying an existing feature such as a road or rail line and then improving the strength of the contingency line by conducting fuel reductions along the line. Thinning of trees and mastication of materials on the ground are common techniques used to fortify contingency lines.

A National Incident Management Organization (NIMO) Team is managing the Jenkins Creek and Horse River fires under a full suppression strategy. Ensuring public and firefighter safety remains a primary priority.

Crews will begin developing contingency lines in the vicinity of the 420 Road in the north and northwest areas of  the Jenkins Creek Fire.  As additional equipment becomes available, contingency lines will be developed to the southeast along the 425 Road and the Bundle Lake Road.

As we enter the weekend, there is a strong possibility that thunderstorms late Saturday night, and additional showers Sunday will bring rain to the areas of the Horse River Fire and the Jenkins Creek Fire. 

Jenkins Creek Fire Quick Facts

Size: 16,145 acres                               Containment:94%                 Personnel: 201

Continued Unmanned Aerial System (UAS/drone) flights resulted in the location of four hotspots inside the fire perimeter yesterday. Crews located and suppressed one hot spot.  The remaining three hotspots contained no heat when located. The improvement of contingency lines in the northwest area of the fire along the 420 Road began in the north and northwest areas of the fire.  A large commercial masticator, which is a machine capable of grinding large woody material, is being used to reduce ground surface fuels in the vicinity of the 420 Road.  As additional masticators become available, fuel reduction will be initiated along the 425 Road and the Bundle Lake Road to the southeast. Crews will continue to monitor and address any sources of heat as they patrol the perimeter of the fire. As new mapping data from the UAS and ground crews becomes available, acreage of the fire will be adjusted.

Horse River Fire Quick Facts

Size: 13 acres                                      Containment: 75%                 Personnel: 26

Cooperation from the weather, and continued efforts to identify and suppress sources of heat has resulted in gains in containment on the Horse River Fire. The fire is now considered to be 75% contained.  After an extensive gridding process, crews in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness were unable to locate any active heat within the perimeter of the Horse River Fire for the fourth consecutive day.  Today, equipment used by the crews will be removed by helicopter and crews will paddle out of the area. 

Fire Weather & Behavior:  We can expect cloud cover today, occasional showers, and relative humidities within the range of 45 to 50%. These are conditions that will continue to moderate fire behavior. A solid line of thunderstorms will reach the area in the middle of the night on Saturday.  Winds may gust to 40 mph. This storm is likely to bring  ¼” to ½” inch of rain to the area of the fires. Rain is likely to occur over the area Sunday, as well. 

Winds and Fire Behavior: Wind is one of the most powerful influencers of fire behavior and dictates the primary direction of fire spread. Wind supplies additional oxygen to a wildfire, leading to more rapid and intense burning. This can result in hotter flames, greater fuel consumption, and even the formation of fire whirls or firestorms. It can also carry embers and burning debris over long distances, creating new fires ahead of the main fire front, a phenomenon known as “spotting.” Strong winds are capable of throwing embers a mile or more in distance. The combination of strong winds, smoke, and intense heat can jeopardize the safety of firefighters, limiting their ability to directly engage with the fire.

Banana Lake Fire
June 7, 2024

Start Date & Location: May 31, 2024    4 miles north of Plains, MT
Cause: Unknown, under investigation       Size: 833 acres                Containment: 55%
Personnel: 212       Crews: 5     Engines: 6       Helicopters: 2     Dozers: 1     Skidgeons: 5

CURRENT STATUS AND PLANNED ACTIONS
Crews remain focused on securing containment lines and targeting areas of residual heat near the fire’s edge. Though visible fire activity is limited, pockets of unburned vegetation within the fire perimeter, known as dirty burns, require careful attention. These areas can conceal smoldering material that may reignite under dry and warm conditions.

Today, firefighters will continue mopping up the fire using gridding and cold trailing techniques to thoroughly check for remaining heat. Gridding involves systematically scanning the ground in a tight pattern, while cold trailing means feeling along the edge of burned areas to confirm they are fully extinguished. These methods are critical as temperatures rise and humidity falls.

Yesterday, firefighters continued fire suppression efforts on a persistent heat source deep within a thick layer of organic material in a dry lakebed near Banana Lake on the southwest side of the fire. Although there were no visible flames, soft and sandy terrain made access challenging. Crews dug into the area and applied water, but the heat proved resistant to standard suppression methods. Firefighters will allow the area to smolder while closely monitoring it and allowing the fire to consume available fuels under controlled conditions. Sprinklers are being installed to prevent any potential spread beyond the containment area.

A dedicated initial attack group remains ready to respond quickly to any new fire starts near the incident.

WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR
Fire activity remains minimal, with mostly creeping and smoldering in isolated stump holes and heavy dead and down fuels.

A ridge of high pressure is expected to build over the region in the coming days, leading to hot and dry conditions. Gusty westerly winds are forecast for the fire area this afternoon, which may contribute to increased fire activity. By Sunday, winds are expected to shift and become light out of the northeast.

EVACUATIONS AND CLOSURES
There are no evacuations or closures for the Banana Lake Fire at this time, but drivers on Highway 28 should expect reduced speed limits and use extra caution. Stay clear of the fire area and do not fly drones.
 

Release Date: June 6th, 2025
Contact Information: Lisa Cox    760-873-2427    lisa.cox@usda.gov

Acreage: 728           Percent Containment: 100%

Location: South of Mono City and North of Lee Vining, CA. West side of Mono Lake.

Cause: under investigation                 Injuries: 0

Structures impacted: 1 residence destroyed, 1 minor structure impacted

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View of Mono Lake from the edge of a fire line on the Inn Fire, May 24, 2025

Due to the great work of firefighters, and thanks to the community and cooperating agency support, the Inn Fire reached 100% containment at 6:00 p.m. on June 4, 2025. 

The fire area received precipitation over the past two days, helping extinguish remaining hot spots. The hot spots are mainly located on the northern flank of the fire where there are meadows with a heavy peat-soil component that tends to retain pockets of heat. Firefighters will continue to regularly check and patrol the area both visually and with heat-sensing technology, and will take action as necessary to prevent any threat to containment lines.

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Infrared map of the Inn Fire, mapped on May 30, 2025

“We expect there to be smokes that pop up from time to time, especially when it is dry and we have winds,” said Incident Commander Phillip Lewis. 

“Even though the fire is contained, we will now work toward calling the fire controlled and out. We may not be able to call this fire out until we have a season-ending weather event with significant precipitation, which may not happen until this winter. Summer monsoons typically do not provide enough wetting rain to put a fire completely out.”

If local residents see a smoke that concerns them, they are encouraged to call the Owens Valley Communications Center public emergency line at: (760) 873-2488.

Closures are in place to protect emergency personnel and public safety: 

• An area closure is in place for the Forest Service lands within the fire: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/inyo/alerts/inn-fire-closure-order
• An area closure is in place for Mono Lake County Park, and Cemetery and Thompson Roads are open to residents only. Please contact Mono County Tourism for more information: https://www.monocounty.org/listing/mono-lake-park/1445/ 

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Banana Lake Fire
June 6, 2024

Start Date & Location: May 31, 2024    4 miles north of Plains, MT
Cause: Unknown, under investigation       Size: 833 acres                Containment: 40%
Personnel: 235       Engines: 14       Helicopters: 1     Dozers: 1     Skidgeons: 5

CURRENT STATUS AND PLANNED ACTIONS
Firefighters are actively holding and reinforcing containment lines, working to eliminate any remaining heat within two chains (132 feet) of the fire’s edge. Although fire activity remains minimal, crews continue focusing on securing the perimeter and minimizing the potential for flare-ups as temperatures rise and humidity decreases. Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) are assisting by identifying heat sources not visible from the ground, allowing firefighters to detect and address hidden hot spots more efficiently and safely.

Yesterday, firefighters detected a heat source in a dry lakebed in the southwest area the fire, near Banana Lake. The heat is deep-seated, with no open flame present. Soft, sandy ground in the area makes access difficult. Crews dug into the area but were unable to locate the exact source. Water was applied, and suppression efforts will continue today to cool the area.

Mop-up operations are ongoing around structures on the northwest flank. Firefighters are using hand tools and water to cool and extinguish hot spots in these high-priority areas. Mop-up is a critical phase of fire suppression, ensuring residual heat is fully extinguished and cannot reignite under changing weather conditions.

An initial attack group remains positioned to respond quickly to any new fire starts near the incident.

WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR
Fire activity remains minimal, with mostly creeping and smoldering observed across the area.

Expect mostly cloudy skies over the fire area today, with slightly warmer temperatures ranging from 74 to 79 degrees. Relative humidity will drop to between 20 and 25 percent, and southwest winds will bring afternoon gusts up to 20 mph. The warming and drying trend is expected to continue through Saturday, with wind gusts increasing to around 25 mph in the afternoon.

EVACUATIONS AND CLOSURES
There are no evacuations or closures for the Banana Lake Fire at this time, but drivers on Highway 28 should expect reduced speed limits and use extra caution. Stay clear of the fire area and do not fly drones.
 

Sanders County: Outdoor Burning by Permit to be CLOSED end of day, June 5, 2025.

Fire Danger Elevated

June 5, 2025 , Fire officials have restricted debris burning (outdoor burning) starting June 5, 2025.  Open debris burning will resume after fire season, starting October 1.  Prevention is critical for the safety of our communities, responders, and forests.

People who burned this spring should go check on their piles to make sure they are fully extinguished. While there are no restrictions at this time, we urge people to be careful with campfires and check for restrictions before recreating in the outdoors.  

If you have any questions regarding this notice, call the Sanders County Emergency Manager 406-827-6955.
 

Banana Lake Fire
June 5, 2024

Start Date & Location: May 31, 2024    4 miles north of Plains, MT
Cause: Unknown, under investigation       Size: 833 acres                Containment: 25%
Personnel: 236       Engines: 14       Helicopters: 2     Dozers: 3     Tenders: 10

CURRENT STATUS AND PLANNED ACTIONS
Firefighters are continuing to patrol containment lines and extinguish areas of residual heat to secure the fire perimeter. In the northeast section of the fire, crews are concentrating on mop-up efforts around structures. These actions are especially important as temperatures rise and humidity drops, increasing the potential for flare-ups. When heat is located, firefighters are using hand tools and water to fully suppress smoldering fuels and eliminate the risk of reignition.

Much of the fire area experienced what's known as a “dirty burn,” where patches of unburned or partially burned vegetation remain scattered among blackened ground. This creates a challenging environment for mop-up, as crews must carefully work through thick, uneven debris to find and extinguish residual heat. Helicopters are assisting ground crews with targeted water bucket drops in areas that are difficult to access or where heat is persistent.

Crews are using Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) to locate residual heat, which will then be extinguished to ensure the area is fully cold and out. Additionally, an initial attack division is ready to respond quickly should any new fire starts occur near the fire area. These proactive measures help ensure the fire remains within current containment lines and that any emerging threats are addressed promptly.

WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR
Fire activity remains minimal, with mostly creeping and smoldering observed across the area. The fire perimeter has been updated based on more accurate infrared mapping, resulting in a reduction in total acreage.

Weather conditions are expected to be mostly sunny Thursday, with above-normal temperatures. Relative humidity will drop to 16–21% during the day, and light upslope winds are likely to develop in the afternoon.

Friday will be warmer, with southwest winds picking up in the afternoon and gusts reaching around 20 mph.

EVACUATIONS AND CLOSURES
There are no evacuations or closures for the Banana Lake Fire at this time, but drivers on Highway 28 should expect reduced speed limits and use extra caution. Stay clear of the fire area and do not fly drones.

Firefighters on the Grindstone District are taking advantage of a favorable weather window to burn 10 acres of piles at the Plaskett Meadows Campground off of Forest Hwy 7 in western Glenn County. Ignitions will begin this morning. Several forest engines and the Pacific Oasis hand crew will be on scene. Firefighters will continue mop-up and patrol activities Friday through Sunday. Smoke dispersal should be minimal but may impact the Day Use area and cabins in the Snow Basin area.

A National Incident Management Organization (NIMO) Team is managing the Jenkins Creek and Horse River fires under a full suppression strategy. Ensuring public and firefighter safety remains a primary priority.

The Burned Area Emergency Response Team will continue their assessment of the potential impacts of the Jenkins Creek fire to affected watersheds.

This afternoon will begin a moderation of fire weather that will extend through the weekend. Today and tomorrow will bring a chance of showers. The probability of significant rainfall begins Saturday evening and will likely persist through Sunday.

Jenkins Creek Fire Quick Facts

Size: 16,145 acres                               Containment:94%                 Personnel: 204

Yesterday, areas of heat located by the Unmanned Aerial System (UAS/drone) flights resulted in the location of hot spots that were within the interior of the fire. Crews determined that these interior sources of heat posed no threat to the integrity of the perimeter and chose not to engage in suppression of these heat sources. The crews continue this deliberate approach to suppression of hot spots, making the decision to enter the interior of the fire when safe to do so. The UAS crews will continue to fly the perimeter of the fire at night to identify remaining heat signatures. An additional UAS crew will continue to map the fire perimeter during the day. Today’s increase in acreage is not related to fire growth, but is due to the improved mapping provided by UAS flights and crews surveying the perimeter.

Horse River Fire Quick Facts

Size: 13 acres                                      Containment: 0%                   Personnel: 26

Crews in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness were unable to locate any active heat within the perimeter of the Horse River Fire for the second consecutive day. Today, they will continue to methodically work their way along the perimeter and within the interior of the Horse River Fire to locate and suppress any remaining sources of heat. Crews will continue to collect GPS coordinates of the fire perimeter to improve mapping of the fire.

Fire Weather & Behavior:  Beginning this afternoon we’ll see a trend toward more moderate fire weather that is likely to extend into the weekend. This afternoon will bring a slight chance of showers with temperatures in the low 70s, humidity between 25 – 35%, and light winds out of the west. The chance of rain continues into Thursday night and again Friday. A front bringing a solid chance of significant rain should enter the area Saturday evening and stay in the area through Sunday. These conditions should diminish fire behavior on the Jenkins Creek and Horse River Fires.

FireWise: Approximately 15-30% of homes in Minnesota are in the wildland-urban interface (WUI), an area where homes are interspersed in fire adapted landscapes, meaning that these homes occur in a place where wildfires are a historic and recurring feature of the landscape. Being resilient to wildfire requires the maintenance of ‘defensible space,’ usually defined as a 30-foot perimeter around a structure that is cleared of brush or vegetation. Minnesota has adopted the National FireWise Program and the Minnesota Firewise Program works with homeowners and communities to build resilience to wildfires. Be wise, be FireWise.