Single Publication

Middle Fork Complex Update
Monday, August 26, 2024

Fire Size: 46,994
Completion: 5%
Resources: 6 helicopters, 32 engines, 13 hand crews
Total Resources: 659 

Community Meeting: A community meeting will be held today at 6:00 p.m. at the white barn building, located at 85 Severance Road, Garden Valley, ID. The Incident Commander, key team members, and representatives from the Boise National Forest will provide updates on the Middle Fork Complex Fire and address any questions.

Weather and Fire Behavior: For today, temperatures will continue to trend upward with decreasing humidities. Skies will be mostly clear as a drier weather system approaches the area on Tuesday. This will result in a return of increased fire behavior and potential for spot fires to become more active.

Operations: The weather today continues to allow for improved firefighting conditions, allowing crews to prepare new containment and contingency lines and undertake various suppression tactics.

Efforts continue along FS Road 698 and onto FS Road 671 to contain the Bulldog Fire, focusing on the western edge. Structure protection improved greatly today, and crews will continue to patrol the area. Crews established indirect line along the northern and northeastern edge of the fire, tying in the containment line with existing firebreaks.

The new indirect lines constructed on the western edge on the Nellie fire were further supported by aerial retardant drops today. The Highway 17 corridor saw tactical firing operations today to further protect infrastructure. Highway 17 will also have night crews in place to further support operations there.

Crews and aerial resources were engaged in suppressing spot fires on the northwestern side of Deadwood Reservoir. Additionally, crews have been “spiked out,” or setting up a secondary small, supported fire camp close to the fire line. The goal is to herd the Nellie Fire to a previously burned area and from keep it from moving farther north. This tactic allows crews to shorten travel time and spend more of the working period fighting the fire. No homes or infrastructure in the Deadwood reservoir area have been lost.

Closures: The Boise National Forest has issued Order Number 0402-06-59, effective August 23, 2024. For additional details, please visit the Boise National Forest website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/boise/alerts-notices. Hwy 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 and Warm Springs Airstrip. Visit https://511.idaho.gov/ for more road info.

Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR): A TFR is issued over the fire area. It is illegal for members of the public to fly drones over or near wildfires because of the potential for accidents and disruption of suppression operations.