Single Publication

Wapiti Fire Statistics: 

Size: 116,788 acres    

Containment: 12% 

Total Personnel: 1,477

Location: Grandjean, ID 

Reported: July 24, 2024 

Cause: lightning 

Special Notes: Great Basin Complex Incident Management Team 7 assumed command of the fire at 7:00am Saturday morning. Great Basin Team 7 will host a public meeting for the Lowman area Sunday, Sept. 8 at 6:00 p.m. at the Lowman Fire Station. The team will attempt to livestream the meeting via Wapiti Fire Information Facebook page however, internet service is very limited. A recording will be posted after the meeting. State Highway 21 remains closed east of Lowman to Stanley from MP84 to MP130 due to wildfire activity. Highway 75 remains open. Firefighter and public safety remain the highest priority in all management decisions. 

Current Situation: Crews continue to put in work in all divisions of the fire. 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. Operations are being supported by aviation resources which are helping to control spot fires and suppress hot spots. 

Division DD: The fire in the Sawtooth Wilderness is slowly growing towards the south and east remaining in the river drainages 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 continue to create line up to the rock scree and are anticipating areas to tie the fire into the established indirect lines.  An indirect line has been completed between Iron Creek and Goat Creek. 

Division KK and Structure Group East: Work continues to mop up and patrol along the entire division. The large spot east of Hwy 21 remains in patrol status. Crews are chipping cut vegetation to improve defensible space around structures and have begun repairing disturbance caused by suppression within the communities. 

Division PP:  Crews have completed structure prep work at Bradley Boy Scout Camp and remain staged to protect structures if needed. Fire retardant was laid down around the scout camp today to provide additional protection. Crews will also be prepping for firing operations to help keep the fire from crossing Highway 21. 

Division MM: Crews continue to grid for spots, mop up, and hold established lines within the Bull Trout Lake area. An additional direct line will be constructed around the lake.  Fire continues to burn on the ridge tops within the lodgepole pine and is progressing towards the north. A firing operation is planned on the northern edge of the current fire footprint, this will help crews work the fire down to Highway 21 in a predictable manner. 

Division WW and Structure Group West:  The Highway 21 corridor in Division WW is now the highest priority area in the fire. Structure preparation work around Sourdough Lodge and the subdivisions of Two Ravens, Ten Ax, and Seven Peaks is complete. Personnel will remain in the communities to assess structures and be in place to defend structures if needed. A mastication crew will begin work today to create a fuel break in the vicinity of the structures. The fire continues to move to the southwest towards the 8-mile creek drainage. 

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:  

Strong chance of thunderstorms in the morning, between 7 AM and 3 PM. Temperatures will reach high 70’s to low 80’s degrees with humidity remaining in the teens to twenties. There is a low chance of precipitation in this storm cycle but strong winds with gusts up to 40 mph will be present.

Expect increased activity on Tuesday, especially along the west to southwest perimeters of the fire, as dry winds come ahead of a cold front. Chances of precipitation will greatly increase going into Wednesday and Thursday, with possibilities of heavy isolated showers.

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 is still 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. 

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/wapitifireinfo2024/ 

  Linktree:  https://linktr.ee/WapitiFireInfo2024 

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