Single Incident Information

The fire closure order has been terminated.  Road, trails and the area within the fire is open for public use.  Be aware that some roads are closed annually for resource protection and remain closed now.

Use caution when in the area!

1. Watch for falling trees. Even if the tree looks robust, it might be at risk of falling because of damaged root systems and fire-loosened soils. As the years pass, dead root systems rot and the likelihood of the tree falling increases. 
   Watch for falling branches as well. Look up often. Take note of fire-weakened trees, snags and overhead dangling branches. Do not sit down and take a break under a fire-weakened or dead tree.
   Windy days are especially dangerous. Don’t go out in a burn area if it’s forecast to be windy. Leave the area immediately if the wind picks up and there are hazards around you. Don’t make camp below burned trees.
   Rainy weather is also dangerous. Wind often accompanies rain. And even if it’s just rainy, the chances of landslides and flash floods goes up. Water runs more quickly off the burned soil. And drainages can become clogged with trees, rocks, and debris. Debris can act like a dam, releasing a huge flash flood of water, mud, and debris that will destroy everything downstream.
   Travel through burn areas quickly. Minimize the risk you face by not lingering in dangerous places.
   Be extra cautious when choosing a campsite. Don’t camp in a risky area. Look for dead trees that might fall toward your tent and steep slopes that could send rocks or landslides down on you. Don’t camp in natural swales or drainages because of debris flows.
   Landslides and rock fall danger means you should be careful on hillsides. Stripped of its understory vegetation, burned soil is loose, so boulders, logs, and the soil can move. These dangers can increase as the freeze-thaw cycle loosens things up. On hillsides, if you encounter a downed log or pile of fallen rocks, go one person at a time in case the material shifts.
   Signs may have burned meaning you’re on your own when navigating. Bring maps and pay attention.
   The trail tread might be unstable, and it may collapse. Debris fallen from uphill can take out the trail tread. Trail retaining walls might be damaged and ready to fall down the mountain.
   Watch for burned-out holes in the ground. When stumps, root structures and duff burns, deep hollow cavities can be left below the trail surface. They may be invisible until your foot breaks through. These holes can keep burning for months after the rest of the fire is out. Notice white ash as it may be retaining extreme heat or be a sign of a potential sinkhole. Stay on trails in burned areas. Be extra cautious when leaving the trail to go pee or poo, especially at night.
   Watch for higher-than-normal stream flow, especially as the snow melts. Burned areas may melt snow more quickly, resulting in higher-than-normal flows where the trail crosses a stream.

Daily written updates for the Four Corners Fire are no longer being produced.  This page in Inciweb will served as the most current information pertaining to the fire.  If additional information is needed, please call the Fire Information Line at 208-634-0820.

Minimal fire activity has taken place on the fire since September 26.  The warmer and dryer weather conditions may prompt the fire to continue to creep and smolder within the interior of the fire perimeter.  The fire is not expected to grow outside of existing containment and confinement lines.  Some occasional tree torching is possible - there is no need to report this to the Forest Service as firefighters remain assigned to the incident and are aware of burning conditions.  Daily firefighter activity will consist of patrolling the last 4% of containment line in the Willow Creek drainage as well as the entire fire perimeter until a true season ending event occurs.

The Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team is continuing to assess and make plans for needed treatments intended to prevent excessive erosion.  It is worthy to note at only 2% of the entire area burned with High Severity - this will greatly increase the chances that erosion will not have a significant impact.  Thirty-three percent of the area burned with Moderate Severity and the bigger past with Low Severity.  For additional information on the BAER activities, watch the short videos that are posted to the Payette National Forest Facebook page.

This photo of Skein Lake highlights the mosaic pattern of burn severity with higher severity on the ridge lines and low severity around the lake.

   


Background Information:

The Four Corners Fire was reported the evening of August 13, 2022, after a lightning storm passed over the area. It is located west of Lake Cascade, in the West Mountain range on the Payette and Boise National Forests.  It is burning within Adams, Gem and Valley Counties. 
 
Firefighters were quickly dispatched to the fire when it was detected, but the steep terrain and limited access made fire suppression challenging.  The fire grew quickly in the Sub-alpine fir stands that spread spot fires ahead of the main fire.  By the morning of August 14, the fire was several hundred acres as it actively burned throughout the night.  Since the initial report of this fire on August 13, it has been the number one priority for fire suppression efforts in the Intermountain Region.  The quick growth of the fire prompting the Payette and Boise National Forests to request additional support through an Incident Management Team.  Great Basin Team 4 arrived and take suppression actions throughout their 14 days assignment on the Fire.  Great Basin Team 2 took over command of the fire on September 1, 2022. On September 14, 2022 the remaining resources on the fire will be led by Nevada Team 2.

On August 18 and August 27, the Valley County Sheriff initiated evacuations west of Lake Cascade. Information and updates about these evacuations were posted on the Valley County Sheriff Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064415776390. On September 16 all evacuations were lifted.