Single Publication

Wapiti Fire Statistics

• Size: 125,624 acres
• Completion: 77%
• Total Personnel: 329
• 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: Fire personnel saw fire activity on the Corral Fire yesterday during their daily observation flight of the area but do not anticipate significant potential growth since it is near rocky outcroppings that will limit fire spread.  The fire has shown no sign of smoke in about 12 days.  Fire managers will continue to keep an eye on this increase in activity. 

There will be a temporary closure of Highway 21 around mile marker 126 today at 11 a.m. to allow removal of heavy equipment used for tree felling. The closure is expected to last less than an hour.

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: Winds in the fire area yesterday were calmer with very low humidity around or below 5%. Weather today will be similar with warm temperatures and gusts around 10-15 miles per hour picking up in the afternoon. Another cold front is predicted to move through Wednesday but brings no major concerns about increasing fire activity.

Current Situation:  Crews added containment to the north part of the Wapiti Fire around Cape Horn. Some heat remains around Copper Mountain, Iron Creek, Big Meadows, and parts of the interior. Firefighters were able to secure most of the spots near Iron Creek yesterday and will continue to suppress fire activity near the perimeter and keep an eye on spots in the interior that are too dangerous to engage with directly. Patrols of the Highway 21 corridor will continue to ensure that containment lines are holding and to quickly respond to any increased fire activity.

Hazard tree removal was completed along Road 630 yesterday and is anticipated to be completed north of Valley Creek within the next shift. The progress made in the past few days has allowed crews to move from areas of low fire activity to assist with suppression and repair. The Idaho Transportation Department crews have made good progress installing guardrails along Highway 21.

Maps for the Wapiti Fire have been updated to better reflect the difference between containment lines and completion lines, since both strategies are in use on the fire area. Containment will continue to be shown as a black line along the fire perimeter; confinement will be shown as a brown line adjacent to the fire perimeter line.

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. 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.