Single Publication

The Central Idaho Dispatch Zone is at HIGH Fire Danger

CENTRAL IDAHO FIRE RESTRICTIONS AREA IS IN STAGE I FIRE RESTRICTIONS

Fire Size: Infrared flight on August 16 mapped the fire at 685 acres.  Acreage will be updated after next infrared or reconnaissance flight. 

Cause: lightning

Location: Two (2) miles northeast of Pistol Lake between Browning and Little Pistol Creeks on the western edge of Middle Fork Ranger District in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness.  The Chilcoot Fire is surrounded by previous fires including the Cascade Complex (2007), Kiwah (2018), Pistol (2018), and Buck (2020) Fires. 

Fuels: spruce and fir

Fire spread:  The fire is burning in heavy dead and down fuels; fire activity is creeping and smoldering.  The fire is increasing in size each day with fire movement down into Garand Creek and fire has crossed Garand Creek and is moving east towards Little Pistol Creek. 

Planned actions:  Firefighter and public safety is the number one priority for the Chilcoot Fire.  When the fire was initially sized up, fire managers initiated actions to suppress the fire.  Due to the remote location of the fire, the steep and inaccessible terrain along with lack of safe ingress and egress for firefighters, fire managers changed strategy, keeping firefighter safety in mind.  Fire managers will be monitoring the fire by remote camera and reconnaissance flights.  Values at risk in the area have been identified and trigger points have been established.  If a trigger point is reached, additional actions will be taken by firefighters in order to protect those values at risk. 

Weather:  Isolated thunderstorms should dissipate this evening.  Gusty, erratic winds along with brief heavy downpours are possible around storms.  Gusty non-thunderstorm winds should diminish this evening. Isolated to scattered thunderstorms are possible once again Saturday afternoon.  On Sunday, widespread rain will arrive as the remnants of Hurricane Hilary arrive.  Heavy rain and flooding is possible Sunday into Monday.