Single Publication

Wapiti Fire Statistics

• Size: 125,540 acres
• Completion: 75%
• Total Personnel: 335
• 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: Near critical fire conditions continue today with windy, dry, and unseasonably warm weather. Helicopters will likely be grounded this afternoon due to predicted wind gusts of 40 – 45 mph.

Collection of firewood within closure areas is also 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.

The Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Team has arrived on the Wapiti Fire to begin assessments of the fire area and develop a plan for emergency stabilization to limit threats and damage from the effects of fire, such as erosion control.

Weather:  The Stanley basin tied the record for the date for hottest day on Saturday reaching 83 degrees. On Sunday, stronger winds to the west of the Wapiti Fire will bring very cold weather on Monday morning with lows about 20 degrees. 

Current Situation:  New isolated areas of heat popped up all around the Wapiti Fire on Saturday. Helicopters dropped approximately 116,000 gallons of water on hot spots until they were grounded in the late afternoon due to winds. Crews were able to engage with all hot spots that were a concern and will continue the good work today. In addition to a busy day with suppression, repair work continued on Saturday with crews working on roads, cutting down hazard trees, and assessing areas for needed repair work.

Smoke from multiple hot spots were visible from Highway 21 including near the Park Creek Overlook where surface fire was pushed by the gusty winds through spotty grasses and vegetation until it burned into the old Elk Fire scar which minimized spread. Helicopters worked to slow the spread as pockets of unburned vegetation within the fire perimeter burned near Iron Creek. Speaking to the weather forecast for Sunday, Incident Commander Steve Shaw recognized the near critical fire weather and said that we will “plan accordingly, respond accordingly, and will engage responsibly.”

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.