Single Publication

Middle Fork Complex Update
Friday, August 30, 2024

Fire Size: 53,689
Completion: 6%
Total Resources: 966

Community Meeting
A community meeting is scheduled for Friday, August 30 at 6:00 p.m. at the White Barn Building near 85 Severance Road, Garden Valley, Idaho. The Incident Commander, key team members, and Boise National Forest representatives will update on the fire and any questions.

Weather and Fire Behavior
A high-pressure ridge will continue to build over the Middle Fork Complex area, bringing increasing fire weather into the start of the long weekend. Increasing temperatures and low relative humidity will lead to increased fire behavior. Light to moderate winds will allow terrain and fuel driven fire behavior that is accompanied by low smoke dispersion throughout the greater area. As the high-pressure ridge leaves the Middle Fork Complex area near the end of the long weekend, it will be replaced by a cooler monsoonal moisture trend

Operations
Moderate fire behavior has allowed fire crews to establish a foothold and make progress in the completion of tactical missions associated with structure protection and indirect line preparation in the Bulldog fire area.

Successful burning operations along the south-western edge of the Nellie Fire have cooled, and crews have begun the intensive and thorough process of mop-up. Mop-up is the act of carefully navigating areas of concern near the line and extinguishing any heat sources that remain. This increases the security of fire lines and contributes to the confidence in the level of containment. The completed line near the highway and moving north will reduce the threat of fire along the highway corridor.   

The area around Deadwood Reservoir saw the largest amount of fire growth. Here, the Nellie fire pushed eastward into the 2016 Pioneer fire scar. Fire crews have established solid line around a series of spot fires on the western edge of the reservoir. Fire crews have been working to establish additional line throughout the northeastern edge of the fire through a standard anchor and flank method.

Closures
The Boise National Forest has issued Order Number 0402-06-60, effective August 23, 2024. Highway 21 is closed from the Sourdough Lodge in Lowman to Stanley (MP 84 to 130) due to wildfire activity. Only local traffic is permitted between the Sourdough Lodge and Warm Springs Airstrip. For additional information, visit https://511.idaho.gov/

Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR)
A TFR is in effect over the fire area. It is illegal for the public to fly drones over or near wildfires due to the risk of accidents and interference with firefighting efforts.