Single Publication

Firefighters had a successful day keeping fire within containment lines

Daily Update – Monday, September 9, 2024         

Acres: 4,892  

Start Date: 9/2/2024 

Location: 9 miles northwest of Fairfield, ID   

Personnel: 382 

Containment: 10%  

Fuels: Timber, brush, grass, understory 

Highlights: Firefighters are focusing on holding the fire line east of the Middle Fork of Lime Creek and north of the South Fork of Lime Creek today to protect values at risk.  

Operations: On Saturday, the fire actively pushed toward Iron Mountain as expected by fire managers.  A small spot fire over the northwest flank was identified and the forward rate of spread was stopped. Fire activity may increase this afternoon in response to changing weather conditions. Fire crews are checking and addressing hot spots while patrolling control lines to keep the fire north of the South Fork of Lime Creek and east of the Middle Fork of Lime Creek. Firefighters will continue efforts to keep the fire west of the established heavy equipment lines on the eastern edge to protect range infrastructure and high value timbered areas. A priority focus was established for contingency planning on the southeast corner in anticipation of changing wind direction later this week. 

Weather: Today, temperatures will range from 72 to 80 degrees with afternoon humidity back down in the 14-20 percent range. Southwest wind in the afternoon will only gust as high as 22 mph. 

Smoke: Smoke may be visible from the Fairfield area, with continuing predicted today. An interactive smoke map located at https://fire.airnow.gov/ allows you to zoom into your area to see the latest conditions. 

Closures: The Sawtooth National Forest has issued an emergency temporary closure of trails and trail segments for the Chimney Fire. The purpose of the closure order is for the protection of firefighters and public during wildfire suppression activities occurring in and around the trails. The full closure order (No. 0414-05-065) and map are available on the Sawtooth National Forest website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/sawtooth/alerts-notices. 

Safety: The health and safety of firefighters and the public are always the first priority. A temporary flight restriction (TFR) is in place over the area, which includes uncrewed aircraft or drones. Flying drones near wildfires is dangerous for pilots and firefighters and can bring wildfire suppression efforts to a halt. Know before you fly. If you fly, we can’t. More information can be found at: https://uas.nifc.gov/.   

More Information: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/ideix-chimney-fire /  

208-246-8292 / https://www.facebook.com/sawtoothnationalforest / 2024.chimney@firenet.gov / https://www.facebook.com/IdahoDepartmentofLands/