Single Publication

Wapiti Fire Statistics

• Size: 125,508 acres
• Completion: 72%
• Total Personnel: 302
• 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 Updates: As the weekend approaches, please verify your recreation and hunting plans against the existing closures throughout the area.  Both the Wapiti and Frog Fires have area closures in place, affecting roads, trails, and campgrounds.  Check the links throughout the update to find the information most applicable to your travel plans.  And please remember to travel slowly and cautiously through any ongoing fire area.

Weather:  Yesterday’s winds were higher than forecast, with gusts between 40 and 50 mph recorded at the highest elevations.  Today will be breezy again but gusts should only reach into the 20 to 25 mph speed. Temperatures will cool today before beginning to rise again by the weekend.  The outlook is showing no signs of precipitation soon, meaning September will close with warm and dry conditions that could lead to continued moderate fire behavior on both Wapiti and Frog Fires.

Current Situation:  Despite yesterday’s strong winds, the Wapiti Fire showed just 29 acres of growth.  The fire was most active near Copper Mountain.  Helicopters dropped buckets of water on the flames until all aviation resources were forced to land because of gusts reaching over 40 mph.  Fire engines and personnel did continue to work on the fire and were able to limit the fire’s spread.  Resources remain spread out around the fire to quickly respond to any increase in fire behavior.

While several other areas did pick up in activity, they were all interior to the existing fire perimeter and not near existing containment lines.  Increased smoke from similar hot areas is expected to continue until significant moisture – rain or snow – covers the fire area. The fire has burned in a mosaic pattern over the landscape, meaning there are places where the fire burned very intensely and consumed nearly all vegetation while other areas saw less intense fire activity that burned through brush and small trees but left mature trees standing.

Suppression repair work also continues in several locations.  Equipment and personnel are making great progress towards opening the Grandjean Road.  Once they can safely access Grandjean, additional evaluation of fire damage and suppression repair needs will commence.  At that time, a timeline for safe access by homeowners will be evaluated as well.  Near Stanley Lake, fire crews are cutting down trees that could pose a hazard to roadways, trails, and infrastructure.  (See the Wapiti Fire InciWeb and Facebook page for images of the Stanley Lake area and campground.) 

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 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.