Single Publication

Fire Location 

• Wolf Creek: 5 miles W of Donnelly, ID 
• Boulder: 9 miles SW of Cascade, ID 

Size 

• Wolf Creek: 1,137 acres 
• Boulder: 926 acres 

Containment 

• Wolf Creek: 4% 
• Boulder: 5% 

Personnel 

• Wolf Creek: 136 
• Boulder: 444 

Start Date 

• Both Fires: 7/24/2024 

Cause 

• Both Fires: lightning 

Incident Commander 

Mike Johnston, Great Basin Complex Incident Management Team #7 

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Summary: The Boulder and Wolf Creek Fires started on the evening of Wednesday, July 24, 2024. On July 31, an incident management team was delegated the West Mountain Complex which includes Boulder, Wapiti, and Bulltrout Fires on the Boise National Forest, and the Wolf Creek Fire on the Payette National Forest. The team is using a full suppression strategy on these lightning-caused fires. Please avoid high traffic fire areas, slow down while driving, and give the firefighters room to do their work. Be aware of aerial resources and give them plenty of space while recreating on Lake Cascade if they pull water from the reservoir. 

Weather | Anticipated Fire Behavior: The Boulder and Wolf Creek Fires received some light rain yesterday morning, which helped keep the relative humidity high. A drying trend will return to the area, along with rising temperatures and wind speeds. The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for the area today from noon to 9 pm due to the potential for lightning and erratic winds from passing thunderstorms. 

Boulder Fire: Due to the overnight rains and higher humidities, fire activity on the Boulder Fire was lower yesterday. The fire is slowly burning into Fawn Creek on the north side of the fire and continues to burn in pockets of subalpine fir on the east side of the fire. Crews continued reinforcing existing containment lines and are using heavy equipment to construct indirect containment line.  

Wolf Creek Fire: Like the Boulder Fire, overnight rains and higher humidities helped moderate fire activity on the Wolf Creek Fire. Crews will continue to construct containment lines with the support of heavy equipment and aerial resources today while reinforcing existing lines. Two single engine air tankers (SEATs) will join in the firefighting efforts on loan from the Idaho Department of Lands. In addition, two helicopter dip sites closer to the fire area were approved for use, lowering the time between water drops. 

Important Information: The Boise National Forest has issued a closure order #0402-04-98 for National Forest System (NFS) roads, trails and lands encompassing the Boulder Fire. The closure was enacted to protect public safety and support fire suppression activities. The closure includes Blue Lake and Snowbank Mountain Road (#446) along with all #404 and #421 system roads. Near the Wolf Creek Fire, Forest Road #435 (Anderson Lake Road) was closed on August 1.  For more information on closures on the Boise National Forest please visit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/boise/alerts-notices  

On the Payette National Forest, a closure including popular National Forest System roads around the Wolf Creek fire such as: sections of NFS #1763 (West Mountain Jeep Trail), #835, #206, #326. For a map and more detailed description of the closure please visit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/payette/alerts-notices   

For the Wolf Creek Fire, the Valley County Sheriff’s Office has issued a “ready” evacuation order for residents in Zone 7 and Zone 8. The “ready” status means that there is a threat or hazard to your local area. At this level, residents should be thinking about their evacuation plan and monitoring trusted news sources for any change in evacuation status. Maps and additional information on the evacuation status can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/5n7kbuy6  

For timely information on evacuations, check out your county’s emergency alert system.  

• Valley County: https://www.co.valley.id.us/CompleteEmergencyNotificationandAlerting  
• Adams County:  https://adcogov.org/adams-county-emergency-notification-system-codered 

Stage 1 Fire Restrictions have been issued for the Payette Fire Restrictions Area. To check your specific area or for more detailed guidelines, visit https://tinyurl.com/56rmf7p6. 

The Boise National Forest, Idaho Department of Lands, and Bureau of Land Management are in Stage 1 fire restrictions on state, endowment, private and federal lands within the West Central Mountains Fire Restrictions Zone. For more information on the restrictions and a map, visit https://www.idl.idaho.gov/fire-management/fire-restrictions-finder/.