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A low-level inversion kept smoke hovering over Lake Cascade yesterday, moderating fire activity on the Four Corners Fire.  Firefighters took advantage of the lower wind speeds and cool temperatures to fortify fire lines and expand the containment perimeter to 24%. This progress enabled the Valley County Sherriff to lift the evacuation order for God’s Acres and allow homeowners only to return home late Sunday afternoon in the pre-evacuation stage (Set). Access is only from the north.  Firefighters will continue to patrol and monitor contained fire line in that area to respond to any increase in fire activity as necessary.  Smoke will be visible from vegetation still smoldering well interior of the perimeter and does not need to be reported.

Crews from all sides of the fire reported successes slowing the fire’s spread. On the ridgelines to the west, crews continued removing vegetation and felling hazard trees to strengthen existing containment lines. To the southwest crews linked natural terrain features to extend and build handlines. Crews saw group torching of trees in key areas but continued to fortify existing containment lines. Aircraft got a late morning start due to the inversion but were able to fly in the afternoon. Scoopers dropped water on areas west of Wilson Peak while helicopter drops helped crews stabilize hot spots in the Hazard Creek drainage. Scoopers and helicopters have dropped nearly 5 million gallons of water on the water since it started.

Today will resemble Sunday with more stable weather and moderate fire activity. Crews will continue to improve containment and stabilize areas in south and southeastern edges of the fire as safety permits. Slightly warmer temperatures and light winds are forecast. A warming trend will begin Tuesday as temperatures and winds gradually increase then peak into Thursday. Critical fire weather conditions may develop by the end of week.
 
A recording of last night’s virtual information meeting is available on the Payette National Forest Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/payettenationalforest.
 

Air Quality:  A repeat of Sunday’s inversion will bring continued stable conditions that may limit air movement.  Those with sensitivities should limit outdoor activities at least until the inversion lifts, which is expected to occur mid to late morning.  Specific information about local smoke levels, forecasts, and possible health impacts is available at https://outlooks.airfire.org/outlook/cc0ac676/.

Evacuation Information: Valley County Sheriff evacuation orders (Go) are still in place for residents of Campbell Creek and French Creek.  God’s Acres residents are in the pre-evacuation stage (Set). Others in the vicinity are encouraged to consider evacuation preparations (Ready). Please visit www.wildlandfirersg.org for information on packing and preparing for evacuations. For more information on evacuations and local support, call the Valley County Sheriff's Office at 208.382.5160.

Closure Information:  The complete closure order for the Boise and Payette National Forests – including a full description and an accompanying map – is available at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/closures/8331/.