Single Publication

Firefighting crews take advantage of the rain

Daily Update – Friday September 13, 2024       

Acres: 6,490                                                                                                

Start Date: 9/2/2024

Location: 9 miles northwest of Fairfield, ID                               

Personnel: 453

Containment: 10%                                                                   

Fuels: Timber, brush, grass, understory

Highlights: Due to favorable weather patterns conducive to low fire activity, minimal progression of the fire was observed yesterday. A community meeting was held yesterday in Fairfield at the Camas County Senior and Community Center with a total of 30 community members in attendance.

Operations: Despite challenging weather and road conditions, firefighters were able to make significant progress on securing fire lines and scouting for contingency lines. Yesterday crews made progress on the southern edge of the fire while continuing mop-up operations. Firefighters scouted for potential access on the eastern and western flanks for future containment options. Additional resources remain available for any initial attack needs.  No moisture is expected tomorrow, with very minimal fire behavior anticipated.

Weather: Afternoon highs today will return to seasonal normal of 58 to 67 under sunny skies. Humidity is expected to stay above 30 percent. Afternoon wind will be moderate from the southwest gusting into the 20 to 25 mph range.

Smoke: Smoke may be visible from the Fairfield area, with much improved air quality 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/