Single Publication

OLA, Idaho, September 10, 2024 – Extreme fire behavior continued on the Lava Fire yesterday. The fire is now approximately 69,658 acres and has merged with the Boulder Fire to the east, for a combined acreage of 78,457 acres. 

Today, Southern Area Red Team, a Complex Incident Management Team (CIMT), will in-brief with Wyoming Team 6, the type 3 team currently managing the Lava Fire. A CIMT is mobilized during complex emergency incidents to provide command-and-control infrastructure in order to manage the operational, logistical, informational, planning, fiscal, community, political and safety issues associated with complex incidents. Southern Area Red CIMT will take command of the fire on Thursday.

Yesterday, crews worked to slow fire progression towards Indian Valley by constructing fireline and tying it in with dozer line on the south end of the fire. Fireline is handline that firefighters construct by digging down to the bare mineral soil to hold the fire and keep it from growing. Today, crews will work to tie in those lines on the west side of the fire heading north and scout additional areas to put in fireline between Indian Valley and West Mountain. Heavy equipment and aerial resources will continue to support firefighting operations and fire personnel will implement structure protection strategies. The Forest Service uses all available strategies and tools to suppress wildfires, and public and firefighter safety are the top priorities for fire managers. 

Beginning tonight, cooler temperatures with showers and thunderstorms are predicted. A strong system will move in Wednesday and Thursday, bringing stronger winds, cooler temperatures and higher relative humidities, a chance for thunderstorms and potentially heavy rain. Fire Weather Watch is in effect for Wednesday afternoon and evening. A Fire Weather Watch is issued when the combination of dry fuels and weather conditions support extreme fire danger.

Gem County Sheriff’s Office issued LEVEL 3 “GO!” Evacuation notices to residents on Third Fork Road, North of Nesbitt Lane, Nesbitt Lane, Second Fork Road (North of Nesbitt Lane), and Sage Hen Reservoir. The Gem County Sheriff’s Office notified the residences in person on September 8th, 2024.

Gem County Road and Bridge issued the following road closures: Third Fork Road at Nesbitt Lane, and Second Fork Road at Nesbitt Lane. The Sweet-Ola Highway has also been closed at the split to Second and Third Fork Roads. Please be advised that the Gem County Sheriff’s Office is staffing the road closure check points. 

Adams County Sheriff’s Office issued LEVEL 3 “GO!” Evacuation notices to residents along Little Weiser Road in Indian Valley to the south of Council, ID. Sheriff deputies have made notifications to residents. Council, ID to the south county line, on the east side of Highway 95 are in LEVEL 2 “SET” Evacuation. 

Boise National Forest implemented the Lava Fire Area, Road, and Trail Closure for public and firefighter safety. Visit the Forest Alerts and Notices web page for details. 

Visit the Lava Fire InciWeb page at https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idbof-lava-fire for more information. For other news, events and information, visit the Boise National Forest website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/boise and follow the Boise on Facebook @BoiseNationalForest.