Single Publication

A Community Meeting will be held in Indian Valley today, 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 has arrived to transition with the Southern Area Red Team. The Rocky Mountain Team will join command of the fire tomorrow, Wednesday, September 25th.  The Red Team wishes Rocky Mountain Team 2 a safe and successful assignment, and thanks the community for their support. 

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. It started by lightning on Monday, September 2.  It is burning in tall grass, brush, and timber. 

The Lava Fire is currently 97,773 acres with 67 percent of the perimeter contained. The small decrease in acreage is due to more accurate mapping. 623 personnel are assigned, including 13 crews, 1 large helicopter, 1 small helicopter, 19 engines, 9 bulldozers, 12 water tenders, 7 excavators, 2 skidders, 5 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.

On the east side of the Lava Fire, smoke is visible from Lake Cascade, but isolated hot spots are well within the containment lines.   

Operations: Yesterday, the Acre Road fire that started on September 22, south of the West Mountain Complex Incident Command Post, located south of Cascade, Idaho was contained at 1.3 acres. Three engines and a crew from the Lava Fire assisted, 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, including by the Willow Creek subdivision. Due to increased containment, some structure protection measures have been reduced, and firefighters backhauled equipment no longer needed. 

Spots of heat were found near Anderson Creek on the northern flank, and firefighters worked to extinguish them.  They secured and mopped up the area by Little Weiser Road, and the grader worked along that road.  All fire lines are tied in as planned.

On the western flank, mop up and suppression repair of interior dozer lines continued. Road graders and excavators returned roads and fire lines to the state they were before the fire occurred. 

On the southern flank of the fire, crews extinguished hot spots along Forest Service Road 653.   

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

On the eastern flank, personnel will work with resource advisors to identify areas for suppression repair. Mechanical repair and handline repair are continuing.  Crews will focus on mitigating heat near Olson Creek and Hurdy Creek along Forest Service Road 404. Chippers will reduce heavy fuels along Forest Service Road 421 and 421 spur road. 

On the northern flank, firefighters will be improving fire lines, and mopping up farther inside the fire line, to build greater depth in the lines. They will extinguish any heat sources found on last night’s infrared map, within 150 feet of the perimeter of the fire.  An unmanned aircraft system (drone) will assist with heat detection. 

On the western flank, crews will remove any equipment that is no longer needed, patrol to look for any heat near the perimeter of the fire, and continue to repair bulldozer lines. Roads will be returned to their condition prior to additional fire traffic. 

On the southern flank, firefighters will continue to patrol and mop up handlines east of Cow Camp. They will focus on identifying and extinguishing spots of heat and chipping along Forest Service Roads 653 and 609. 

Weather/Fire Behavior: Today is forecasted to be a dry and fair day, with sunny skies. Temperatures will be warm and above normal, with highs in the low to mid 70s.  Minimum relative humidity will be 32 to 37 percent.  Winds will be southwesterly, 3 to 6 mph.  Fire behavior is expected to increase with a warmer, drier trend over the next few days. 

Evacuations:  Per Adams County Sheriff’s Office, a Level 1 “READY” notice remains 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 has 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.