Single Publication

Wapiti Fire Statistics

• Size: 125,758 acres
• Completion: 78%
• Total Personnel: 273
• Location: near Grandjean, ID
• Reported: July 24, 2024
• Cause: Lightning

For More Information

InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idbof-wapiti-fire

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wapitifireinfo2024

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/WapitiFireInfo2024

Interactive Map:  https://tinyurl.com/WapitiFireInfoMap

Special Emphasis: The Air Quality Index (AQI) in the Stanley Basin is still rated green/good today but there has been an increase in smoke the last few days. The smoke is from additional fire activity on the Wapiti Fire as well as multiple other fires in the area. You can check air quality and the AirNow Fire and Smoke Map at https://www.airnow.gov/. 

Collection of firewood within the closure areas is prohibited; any firewood collection in open areas must be done with a valid firewood permit. For questions on firewood collection on the Sawtooth National Forest, please contact the Stanley Ranger Station at 208.774.3000. 

Weather: Today will be warm and dry with lighter winds and gusts of 10 to 15 mph on ridgetops. On Friday there is a Fire Weather Watch with a strong likelihood of becoming a Red Flag Warning – a weather designation for critical conditions that could lead to fire growth on any new or existing fires. Winds of 35 mph are forecast with gusts of up to 50 mph possible. The weather wild card on Friday is the possibility of virga showers, precipitation that evaporates before it hits the ground, and thunderstorms that could create strong downdrafts in any direction.

Current Situation: The south side of the Wapiti Fire, near Big Meadows, was much more active yesterday than it has been over the past several days. The fire is burning through the vegetation in the area and causing increased smoke production. Crews continue to work areas of heat around Chapman Creek where hotspots were active approximately 200 to 300 feet from the fireline perimeter. The vegetation in the area is discontinuous, with interior stands of unburned fuel that are now flaring up with the warm, dry weather. Engines are patrolling along Highway 21 ready to respond as needed. 

Suppression repair is successfully moving along with 98 percent of dozer line and hand line repaired to as close to pre-fire conditions as possible. Mapping suggests 27.9 miles of dozer line and 21.3 miles of hand line are complete. Most of the work in Grandjean is completed; however, continued assessment of the hazards in the area will be ongoing for the foreseeable future. 

Evacuations: Evacuation status for Stanley Zone 1 is currently at READY. All residents should remain alert for any change in conditions that may reinitiate an evacuation status. Sign up for Custer County CodeRED emergency notifications: text CUSTER to 99411 or enroll at https://public.coderedweb.com/CNE/BF28E45537FF. Sign up for Boise County Alert Sense emergency notifications at https://public.alertsense.com/SignUp/publicUser.aspx?regionid=1163. 

For evacuation information on the Wapiti Fire, please see the Custer County Sheriff’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/p/Custer-County-Sheriff-Idaho-61558947312289/, and the Boise County Sheriff’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/boisecountysheriff/. 

Closures: The Wapiti Fire area closure covers portions of the Sawtooth, Boise, and Salmon-Challis National Forests. Please reference the map and description at https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incidentclosures/idbof-wapiti-fire. Recreationalists and hunters should reference this map and obey all posted signage regarding the closure area and any related road, trail, and campground closures. Fire managers and local forest officials are evaluating the current closure area for a reduction in size and scope once it is safe to do so. 

An interactive map for all closures on the Boise National Forest is found at https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/642380b0eb124c8cab6bd9ad3d7146ad/page/Overview/# data_s=id%3AdataSource_5-1888bd00a2c-layer-13-1888bd00b53-layer-16%3A82.