Single Publication

Wapiti Fire Statistics

• Size: 125,624 acres
• Completion: 75%
• Total Personnel: 344
• 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: 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:  Gusty winds continued in the fire area yesterday with slightly lower temperatures. These winds have brought very cold weather in the 15-20 degree range this morning, returning the area to a trend of more seasonal temperatures. Winds are expected to calm down today. Less wind and slightly cooler temperatures will allow crews to make good progress on the Wapiti Fire.

Dry conditions will continue in the fire area for the next several days. “The 5% chance of rain later in the week is a very slight - wishing and crossing your fingers - kind of chance,” said John Keyes, Incident Meteorologist. 

Current Situation:  The increase in acreage of the Wapiti Fire is spread around the entire fire area and is not indicative of a significant increase in activity. The eastern portion of the Wapiti Fire was less active yesterday and fire activity is expected to decrease further as the winds calm down; there is no significant threat of fire spread today. Crews continued to patrol Highway 21 and areas where hot spots remain by Bull Trout Lake, Copper Mountain, and Cape Horn. Helicopter crews dropped water north of Copper Mountain into the afternoon, as long as wind conditions allowed yesterday. This work, as well as the work digging fireline around Cape Horn, will continue today. Firefighters will take full advantage of the cooler temperatures and calmer winds to make progress on the remaining heat on the Wapiti Fire.

Most of the repair work on the east side of the fire was completed yesterday, and repair on the west side will be concluded soon. The bulk of resources working on the east side of the fire have been freed up to assist with the repair of Grandjean Road. The repair of Grandjean Road still has several days of work left, ensuring time is taken to make the right decisions to complete repair in the most effective way possible. Felling hazard trees on Road 630 will continue today.

Evacuations: Evacuation status for Stanley Zone 1 is currently at READY. Stanley Zones 2 – 5 and Kasino are no longer in an evacuation status. Sign up for Custer County CodeRED emergency notifications:  text CUSTER to 99411 or enroll at https://public.coderedweb.com/CNE/BF28E45537FF.

All Boise County evacuation levels have been lifted; residents should remain alert for any change in conditions which could reinitiate an evacuation status. 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/incident-closures/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.

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