Single Publication

Wapiti Fire Update

Tuesday September 10th 2024 – 8:00 a.m.

Great Basin Complex Incident Management Team 7  

Mike Johnston, Incident Commander 

Wapiti Fire Statistics:  

Size:122,233 acres     

Containment: 12%  

Total Personnel: 1,442 

Location: Grandjean, ID  

Reported: July 24, 2024  

Cause: lightning 

For More Information:  

Information Phone: 208-593-7132  

Email:  2024.wapiti@firenet.gov  

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

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

Currently the “Wapiti Fire Information 2024” is suspended. Please see the   Boise National Forest Facebook page for updated fire information.  

Linktree:  https://linktr.ee/WapitiFireInfo2024 

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

Special Notes: The Custer County Sherriff made a slight reduction in the road closure- State Highway 21 remains closed east of Lowman to Stanley from MP84 (Sourdough Lodge) to MP126 (Stanley Lake turnoff) due to wildfire activity. Highway 75 remains open.  

Current Situation: The fire is being managed under a full suppression values-driven strategy. A values driven suppression strategy emphasizes the protection of values at risk while only placing fire personnel in locations where they will have a reasonable probability of success. Firefighter and public safety remain the highest priority in all management decisions. Resources assigned to the Wapiti Fire are supporting initial attack operations on the Frog Fire on the Sawtooth National Forest. Fires are staffed by day, swing and night shifts to support the overall fire suppression plan. 

Division DD:  The fire in the Sawtooth Wilderness is slowly growing towards the south and east remaining in the drainage bottoms with rocky alpine terrain above it. Minimal resources are staffed in this division due to the limited access within the Wilderness and low fire potential.  

Division HH:   Crews remain in the area to complete mop up operation and watch for any spot fires. An Unmanned Ariel System (UAS) was utilized in the Iron Creek area to locate hot spots using infrared detection. 

Division KK and Structure Group East: Structure protection remains in place and crews continue to monitor the communities and ensure there is no fire progression.

Divisions PP & MM:  Burn operations continued throughout the day along the Hwy 21 corridor. Crews continue to patrol and monitor the area, securing the line, and mopping up and gridding 500 ft into the interior.  Crews are staged for structure protection needs. An Unmanned Ariel System (UAS) was utilized on Cape Horn to locate hot spots using infrared detection. Crews continue to monitor in the Bull Trout area. 

Division WW and Structure Group West:   Above 8-mile Ridge, aviation resources continue to support suppression in the area. Structure prep is complete along the Highway 21 corridor and the structure protection group remains in place to take further action if needed.  

Division VV: Fire in this division is burning partially within the Sawtooth Wilderness and is unstaffed due to the lack of road access. 

Weather, Fuels, and Fire Behavior: For today, a Red Flag warning has been issued for hot, dry and windy conditions. For Wednesday a fire weather watch is issued for thunderstorms with lightning and wind gusts up to 60 mph arriving around 3 pm. Starting Wednesday afternoon, a strong change in weather pattern will be present over the fire area. This storm is expected to produce up to an inch of rain with winds out of the north and northwest. 

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/.  

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 remains closed from MP84 to MP126 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 federal, 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.