Single Publication

Suppression repair efforts progress on the Chimney Fire

Daily Update – Sunday, September 15, 2024       

Acres: 6,519                                                                                                     

Start Date: 9/2/2024

Location: 9 miles northwest of Fairfield, ID                                        

Personnel: 300

Containment: 21%                                                                                        

Fuels: Timber, brush, grass, understory

Highlights: Firefighters are working in coordination with local Resource Advisors to increase suppression repairs efforts across the fire area. Warmer, drier weather resulted in slightly increased fire activity yesterday, although no additional fire spread was recorded. Crews are carefully monitoring for any hotspots or potential fire spread using both ground patrols and aerial reconnaissance.

Operations: Firefighters continued to identify new suppression repair projects yesterday. Berms that were created during dozerline construction were flattened, and water bars were installed to prevent future erosion and runoff. Scattering of brush and cut vegetation from chainsaw activities was completed to help return the area to a more natural condition. Resource Advisors are aiding firefighters in these activities by ensuring that sensitive resources are not negatively impacted and burned areas are restored appropriately. Crews also initiated repairs around cabins and other infrastructure near the southern portion of the fire. Firefighters observed slightly increased smoldering and creeping in heavy dead and down timber as a drying pattern settled into the region. On the west side, crews are closely monitoring along the Middle Fork of Lime Creek searching for any evidence of increased fire activity. Suppression repair efforts will continue across the fire as crews attempt to make progress ahead of incoming storms.

Weather: Sunday will be the last day of the next seven days where temperatures will warm above 70 degrees, at 65 to 75 degrees for high temperature across the area. Humidity recovery will be poor at 38 to 50 percent, with afternoon humidity readings of 16 to 24 percent. Southern winds will continue with afternoon gusts in the 20 to 28 mph range. An incoming storm will bring rain Sunday night and potentially moderate to heavy rain on Monday night and Tuesday.

Smoke: Smoke may be visible from the Fairfield area, with possible haze in the afternoon 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 area for the Chimney Fire. The purpose of the closure order is to protect firefighters and the public during wildfire suppression activities occurring in and around the area. 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/