Single Publication

Wapiti Fire Update

Wednesday, September 4, 2024 – 9:30 a.m.

Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 1

Dan Dallas, Incident Commander

Information Phone: 208-593-7132 (public) 208-901-8973 (media) Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Email: 2024.wapiti@firenet.gov

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

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

Information Linktree:https://linktr.ee/WapitiFireInfo2024

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

Special Notes: Rocky Mountain CIMT1 hosted a community meeting yesterday in Lowman. A recording of the meeting can be viewed on our Facebook page Wapiti Fire Information 2024 (see link above). 

There will be a community meeting at the Stanley Community Building at 6:00 pm Thursday. The meeting will be livestreamed on Facebook for those who cannot attend in person. 

State Highway 21 remains closed from east of Lowman to Stanley (MP84 to MP130) due to wildfire activity. Highway 75 remains open. 

Current Situation: Thunderstorms again built over the fire yesterday, increasing fire activity and challenging firefighters as they held established firelines. Air resources will be able to support firefighters on the ground due to clearer air over the fire. Fire resources will again assist the local Forests with initial attack of new fire starts as needed. All firelines are holding and the values at risk remain secure. Crews will continue to strengthen and hold established lines and utilize strategic firing operations to remove fuels where necessary. 

Division DD: Crews will work to extend the completed line from Redfish Lake by prepping along the Decker Flats Road south past the Fish Hatchery. Fire mangers are continuing to assess the values at risk south along Highway 75 and look for opportunities for indirect line placement. The objective is to check the fire’s progress in the event it moves out of Sawtooth Wilderness towards Highway 75 and values at risk. The fire in the Wilderness is slowly growing towards the south and east but is not threatening values at this time. 

Division HH: The indirect fireline around Goat Falls, Stanley, nearby communities, and down to the Stanley Ranger Station has been completed and crews will be improving and strengthening the line.  

Division KK and Structure Group East: Crews will continue to secure and mop up along control lines in both Crooked Creek and Iron Creek areas. The large spot east of Highway 21 has remained secure throughout the past two days and fire managers continue to be confident in its status. Crews will continue to assess and mop up within the spot ensuring it poses no threat to the community. Personnel will continue to patrol the contained portions of the fireline in this division. 

Division PP: The finger of the fire that crossed Highway 21 has not progressed as crews continue to secure the edge. The fire in Thatcher Creek continues to move north and east towards the highway and crews are securing the fire’s edge and mopping up to prevent future flare-ups that may lead to spotting across the highway. Crews will again work at the Bradley Boy Scout Camp, prepping the area in the event the fire crosses Highway 21 further to the northwest. 

Division MM: Crews again experienced active fire behavior yesterday. The firelines continue to hold. Crews will remain vigilant within the Bull Trout Lake area, securing the fire’s edge and watching for spot fires. The fire is active around Copper Mountain where it is progressing down slope to Highway 21. Crews will assess opportunities to implement strategic firing operations to control its movement and bring it slowly down to the highway.  

Division WW and Structure Group West:  The fire is in Casner Creek above the Warm Springs airstrip and is continuing to back to the southwest against prevailing winds. Firefighters are working the fire’s edge to ensure that it comes down the creek in an even manner and does not make a run back towards the airstrip. The prep work, firelines and hoses lays around the Sourdough Lodge area, and the subdivisions of Two Ravens, Ten Ax, and Seven Peaks will continue today. The fire has crossed the Warm Springs drainage to the north and is slowly progressing towards the Eight Mile Fire scar. Crews continue patrolling within Hanging Valley and the Wapiti Creek area, along the 524 road, and the Grandjean area looking for hot spots and removing hazards. 

Division VV:  The fire has entered Chapman Creek and fire managers are assessing opportunities for strategic firing operations to check the fire’s progress to the southwest and tie it into Highway 21.  

Weather, Fuels, and Fire Behavior:  

After a few days of active weather, a ridge of high pressure will bring warm temperatures and dry conditions. The morning inversion will keep lower elevations smoky until it breaks around 1:00 pm. Winds will be light, and out of the southwest in Branch IV, and northwest in Branch VI with gusts up to 20 mph and decreasing after 7:00 pm. Adverse and challenging fire conditions still exist as heavy fuels such as logs are very dry. The possibility of group torching, short runs, and short-range spotting remains.  

Evacuations: 

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

Red Cross has established a shelter at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints at 24695 US-93, Challis, ID. 

To sign up for Custer County CodeRED emergency notifications, text CUSTER to 99411 or enroll online at https://public.coderedweb.com/CNE/BF28E45537FF . 

To sign up for Boise County Alert Sense emergency notification enroll online at https://public.alertsense.com/SignUp/publicUser.aspx?regionid=1163 

Closures and Fire Restrictions: 

State Highway 21 is closed from MP84 to MP130 for public and firefighter safety. 

A Wapiti Fire Area Closure / Forest Order: 0414-04-151 for portions of the Boise, Sawtooth, and Salmon-Challis National Forests can be found at this site:  

https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/sawtooth/alerts-notices. 

Boise National Forest Stage 1 Fire Restrictions / Forest Order: 0402-00-63 can be found at this site: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/boise/alerts-notices. 

Sawtooth National Forest Stage 1 Fire Restrictions / Forest Order 0414-00-044 can be found at this site: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/sawtooth/alerts-notices. 

Fire restrictions on state and private lands may be found at this site: https://www.idl.idaho.gov/fire-management/fire-restrictions-finder/. 

A Temporary Flight Restriction is in place over the Wapiti Fire. Wildfires are a no-fly zone for unauthorized aircraft, including drones. If you fly, we can’t.  For more information, visit http://knowbeforeyoufly.org. 

Wapiti Fire Statistics: 

Size: over 110,425 acres    

Containment: 4% 

Total Personnel: 1513 

Location: Grandjean, ID 

Reported: July 24, 2024 

Cause: lightning