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Elkhorn Fire

Unit Information

500 N Mission St 
McCall, 
Idaho 
83638 
500 N Mission St 
McCall, 
Idaho 
83638 

Incident Contacts

  • Fire Information
    Phone:
    208-634-0820
  • River Information Desk
    Phone:
    208-756-5587 or 208-481-2625

News

McCall, Idaho – The Elkhorn Fire is currently at 25,966 acres with 40% complete. Crews are continuing with mechanical line towards the Magruder Corridor, they are making good progress. Crews were placed back into Lantz Bar yesterday and are implementing structure protection by installing water systems and wrapping Forest Service infrastructure and facilities in Arctic Lodge and The River of No Return area.
McCall, Idaho – The Elkhorn Fire is currently at 25,961 acres with 36% complete. A weak cold front swept through Central Idaho today bringing both a slight increase in cloud cover with winds out of the northwest in the Salmon River corridor. As temperatures are forecasted to increase with lower relative humidity (RH). This will cause the fire to burn more readily where we have heat signatures on the landscape.
McCall, Idaho – Warm sunny skies gave way to an early inversion lift over the Elkhorn Fire yesterday morning allowing reconnaissance flights to gain a better view of containment, increasing it to 36% and the acreage to 25,964. A ridge of high pressure has moved into the region resulting in an increase in temperatures and decreased humidity levels.
Fire Update – Elkhorn Fire, August 8, 2023  McCall, Idaho – An Unstaffed Aerial System (drone) team plan to conduct infrared operations of the Trout Creek area of the fire today. The fire acreage is estimated at 24,039 acres and is 12% contained. Some operations remain suspended on the Salmon River corridor due to mudslides and debris in the river system.  
Fire Update – Elkhorn Fire, August 9, 2023  McCall, Idaho –The fire’s acreage remains 24,039 with containment at 12%. A containment line has been established from the Trout Creek drainage to Whitewater Ranch. The six assigned helicopters performed a wide range of delayed supply, reconnaissance and other operational duties after the inversion lifted late in the morning. U.S. Forest Service support of Salmon River boaters resumed yesterday at the Hancock Campsite after a temporary suspension due to safety hazards along the river. 
McCall, Idaho – With clear weather yesterday, air resources were able to fly a mapping mission around the fire’s perimeter and adjusted the acres to 25,786 acres and kept it at 12% containment. The previous week’s unstable weather conditions and heavy rains have kept air resource utilization to a minimum for safety concerns. Air resources will be back in the air this week supporting strategic operations and the firefighters on the ground.   
Fire Update – Elkhorn Fire, August 7, 2023 
Fire Update – Elkhorn Fire, August 6, 2023 
McCall, Idaho- Early-arriving clouds and precipitation slowed fire progression yesterday. Heat was more prevalent from the Mallard Creek drainage on the east, along the northeast perimeter to the Salmon River and along the southeast perimeter to Magpie Creek. There was no infrared flight last night, estimated acreage is 24,000.