Single Publication

Fairfield Ranger District to assume command of the Chimney Fire

Daily Update – Thursday, September 19, 2024

Acres: 6,519                                                                            

Start Date: 9/2/2024

Location: 9 miles northwest of Fairfield, ID                               

Personnel: 220

Containment: 71%                                                                  

Fuels: Timber, brush, grass, understory

Highlights: At 5:00 PM on Thursday, September 19, the Southwest Area Complex Incident Management Team 4 will transfer command of the Chimney Fire to a local Type 3 organization, led by Incident Commander Matthew Ganguet from the Sawtooth National Forest. Team 4 extends its sincere thanks to the local communities and cooperators for their support, gratitude, and hospitality throughout this incident. Due to successful firefighting efforts, the Chimney Fire is now 71% contained, and resources are either demobilizing to return to their home units or reassigning to assist other wildfires.

Future Fire Information: The Chimney Fire Information phone number will no longer be active after 5:00 PM this evening. Please direct any future questions to the Sawtooth National Forest, Fairfield Ranger District, at 208-764-3202, between the hours of 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM. This will be the final update for the Chimney Fire, unless significant events occur. Any future fire information will be made available at http://bit.ly/SawtoothFireInfo.

Operational Update: Very little smoke was observed on the fire today. Fire behavior is predicted to remain low due to higher fuel moistures after the recent rainfall. Some smoke may appear later this week, but fire activity should be minimal. Suppression repair activities will continue with additional heavy equipment arriving at the incident today. Initial attack crews remain ready to respond to new fires in the area.

Weather: Temperatures are expected to remain in the mid 50s to the mid 60s, with relative humidity around 30 percent. Calmer winds will come from the southeast in the morning and then shift to the southwest in the afternoon.

Smoke: Some smoke may be visible from the Fairfield area; however, air quality continues to improve. 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 reduced the size of the 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. 0414-05-066) 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. The Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) over the fire area has now been lifted.

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/