Single Publication

Fire activity was moderated by smoke from Oregon fires. Operational tactics were successful yesterday with crews completing line along the Forest 435 spur road and tying in line along the Forest 435 P1 to the Willow Creek Road. The fire continues to slowly back down the eastern slope and remains north of the Willow Creek Drainage. 

Firefighters anticipate more fire activity over the next few days as temperatures increase and vegetation continues to dry. While firefighting efforts are engaged on all sides of the fire perimeter, a heavy emphasis is being placed on the eastern side, where numerous community homes are located. Additional crews are on order to continue efforts building containment lines west of the French Creek and Campbell Creek communities. Different types of vegetation in the area are affecting how clean the fire burns, which is leaving large portions of unburned fuel between homes and the fire. To bolster confidence in the containment lines crews are constructing, firefighters are working to remove that vegetation between the homes and the main fire front. This tactic will allow crews to mop up and remove heat along a “straight” edge, reducing the amount of active fire line. In addition to these efforts, crews are removing fuels around houses and laying hoses, pumps and sprinklers that can be used if the fire continues to progress down the mountain. Night patrols kept eyes on the fire and were ready to engage if anything potentially spotted near French and Campbell Creek. 

Aircraft continues to fly the fire and provide support for crews. While both water and retardant are generally effective tools in slowing fire spread, boots on the ground are a necessary piece of the puzzle to safeguard containment lines. Mopping up hotspots ensures that the fire won’t reignite when temperatures or winds increase.

Containment percentage dropped to 34% due to more accurate mapping as fire officials were able to get better eyes on the existing perimeter. Visitors over Labor Day Weekend should be cognizant heavy smoke will be in the valley and should consider adjusting plans if they have sensitive respiratory systems. For those traveling through Cascade, expect heavy fire traffic and drive slowly.  

Weather: Fire meteorologists are issuing a Fire Weather warning for Saturday as they expect strong winds up to 30 mph. Heat Advisory still remains in effect for portions of Central Idaho, including the Four Corners Fire vicinity.  Today, winds will be slightly weaker with temperatures a little warmer than Thursday.  Relative humidity will remain critically low.  The area fire area and surrounding vicinity is expected to be smoky and hazy. 

Air Quality:  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. The team’s number one priority is trying to get individuals back into their homes as soon as possible. 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:  Access to hunting unit 32 A near the Fawn Creek area is very limited as the main route in from the west is in the closure area. 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/. 
 
Personnel: 774
Hand Crews: 18
Engines: 43 
Helicopters: 7 Type 1, 2 Type 2, 2 Type 3