Single Publication

A Community Meeting will be held in Indian Valley on Tuesday, September 24th at 7:00 p.m. at the Indian Valley Community Hall, 803 Indian Valley Road, Indian Valley, Idaho.

As a reminder, on the Boise National Forest, Snowbank Road and the Sage Hen Reservoir area remain closed. In Gem County, the following roads are closed: Third Fork Road at Nesbitt Lane, Second Fork Road at Nesbitt Lane, and Nesbitt Lane. The Sweet-Ola Highway is closed at the High Valley intersection in Ola. Please be advised that the Gem County Sheriff’s Office is staffing the road closure check points.

The Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 2 is arriving to transition with the Southern Area Read Team. The Rocky Mountain Team will join command of the fire on Wednesday, September 25th.

Overview: The Lava Fire is on the Boise and Payette National Forests and lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management and the Idaho Department of Lands. The fire is located north of Emmett and west of Lake Cascade and started by lightning on Monday, September 2. It is burning in tall grass, brush, and timber. 

The Lava Fire is currently 97,844 acres with 65 percent of the perimeter contained. 658 personnel are assigned, including 13 crews, 1 large helicopter, 1 small helicopter, 25 engines, 9 bulldozers, 13 water tenders, 7 excavators, 1 skidder, 8 masticators, 4 graders, and 7 ambulances.

Property remaining in an area that is evacuated or impacted by Forest Service closures must remain until fire managers, Sheriff’s departments, and emergency management departments deem the area is safe for reentry. 

Operations: Yesterday, a new fire start was identified south of the West Mountain Complex Incident Command Post located south of Cascade, Idaho. Lava Fire air and ground resources assisted with initial attack, in collaboration with Idaho Department of Lands, Southern Idaho Timber Protective Association, and the Boise and Payette National forests. 

On the eastern flank, repair of handline and dozer line continued. Crews repaired most of the dozer line in the southeastern portion the fire and conducted mop of heat within 150 feet of containment lines.

Hand crewscontinued building containment line directly along the fire edge in the northern flank from Little Weiser River working east and to Anderson Creek and working west from Forest Service Roads 835 to 766. Mop up continued around homes near Grays Creek and within 50 feet of containment lines. 

On the western flank, mop up and suppression repair of interior dozer lines continued. Firefighters removed 10,000 feet of hoseline.

Firefighters continued constructing direct and indirect line along Forest Service Road 653 on the southern flank. Near the Gross community, crews continued mop and patrol 150 feet from containment lines.  

Today, firefighters will continue to extinguish isolated pockets of heat, focusing on a depth of 150 feet from containment lines. Suppression repair work on containment lines as well as interior bulldozer lines will continue. 

On the eastern flank, chipping will reduce thick, burnable vegetation on Forest Service Roads 446E and Gopher Road. Crews will patrol Forest Service Road 404 and extinguish any heat sources they find, focusing on a depth of 150 feet from the line. Firefighters will repair handlines and bulldozer lines, remove equipment, and assess equipment needs such as road repair graders. 

On the northern flank, crews continue to build direct handline southwest along the fire edge towards Anderson Creek and mop up will continue as needed. On Forest Service Road 206, crews will remove hazard trees. 

On the western flank, crews will extinguish heat along containment lines from Forest Service Road 208 to road 214. Firefighters will continue to repair containment line and interior bulldozer lines.

On the southern flank, firefighters will continue to patrol and mop up any fire activity near the Gross community. Chipping will occur on National Forest Road 625 and at the Third Fork Cabin. Hand crews will continue identifying heat and improving hand line along Forest Service Road 653. 

Weather/Fire Behavior: Fair conditions continue. Cloud cover from the weak weather system that came into the area on Sunday is expected to clear throughout the day. As cloud cover reduces, temperatures are expected to increase to the upper 60s or low 70s. As the system departs, winds may pick up to 5 to 9 mph with gusts up to 18 mph. In the next several days, temperatures are expected to rise and with it the potential for fire spread including single tree torching. 

Evacuations: Adams County Sheriff’s Office downgraded to a Level 1 “READY” for residents south of South Grays Creek, along Little Weiser River Road in Indian Valley, North of South Grays Creek Road to Highway 95, and the Mesa Area. 

Valley County Sheriff’s Office removed Zones 2 & 3 from LEVEL 1 “READY” status. Zones 4 – 6 remain in a LEVEL 1 “READY” Evacuation notice. 

Closures and Restrictions: The Boise and Payette National Forests implemented a joint Lava Fire Area, Road, and Trail Closure for public and firefighter safety. The southern portion of this closure area follows roads 601 (which remains closed) and 644 (which remains open). The northern boundary follows a portion of the Payette National Forest’s road 186 (open) and crosses over to the Boise National Forest just south of trail 116. Snowbank Road (446) and Sage Hen Reservoir area remain closed, French Creek Campground remains open. This closure adjustment became effective on September 19, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. 

Gem County Road and Bridge issued the following road closures: Third Fork Road at Nesbitt Lane, Second Fork Road at Nesbitt Lane, and Nesbitt Lane. The Sweet-Ola Highway is closed at the High Valley intersection in Ola. Please be advised that the Gem County Sheriff’s Office is staffing the road closure check points.

A temporary flight restriction is in effect in and around the fire area. This includes the use of personal drones. If you fly, we cannot fly.