Single Publication

https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idscf-garden-fire

Date of Detection: September 8, 2024

Fire Size: 9,533 acres

Completion:  0%

Cause: lightning

Location: approximately two (2) miles southwest of the confluence of Panther Creek and the Main Salmon River on the North Fork Ranger District in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness.

Fuels: grass, brush, dead and down fuels, and timber

Resources: 177 people

Engines: 14

Type I Helicopters: 1

Type I Crew: 1

Type II Crew :4 

Special Notes:  The Salmon River Road and the Salmon River to float boating will remain open.  NO stopping from SPRING CREEK to LONG TOM PICNIC AREA.  Expect delays from the confluence of the Main Salmon River and Panther Creek and Cove Creek due to firefighting activity to allow the firefighters to do their job safely and efficiently.  The Salmon River Road could be closed due to fire behavior at any time.  Be prepared to stay downriver.   

Current situation:  Firefighter and public safety is the number one priority for the Garden Fire.  Fire managers are using a combination of full suppression and a point protection strategy (a wildfire response strategy, which protects specific assets or highly valued resources from the wildfire without directly halting the continued spread of the wildfire) to minimize exposure to fire personnel while protecting identified values, including private property and Forest Service infrastructure. 

The fire continues to grow in the Garden Creek drainage and to the ridge to the north, towards the Salmon River.  Fire is currently holding in the upper reaches of Clear Creek; fire has backed down to Panther Creek between Bear Gulch and Clear Creek.  In this area, the fire has moved into the grass and is holding.  Between Lime Gulch and Garden Creek, the fire is holding in the bottom of the drainage. Small scale firing operations using an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) were used in Panther Creek to bring fire to the grass.  The fire did not spot across the Salmon River. 

Presence of firefighters, primarily in the Panther Creek and Salmon River areas on both a day and night shift, continues.  There will be a heavy presence of firefighters along the Salmon River Road today and are ready to respond in case the fire spots over the Salmon River.  Aircraft, both fixed wing and helicopters, will be used if weather and smoke conditions allow.  Fire managers are continuing to look for opportunities to engage the fire direct as fuels and weather conditions change and it is safe to do so.

Evacuations:  Lemhi County Law Enforcement, Emergency Management, and the Salmon-Challis National Forest have established three (3) evacuation zones for the Garden Fire. 

Zone 1: From Cove Creek to Ebeneezer Bar, downriver along the Salmon River Road #030.

Zone 2: On Panther Creek Rd #055, a half mile south of Beaver Creek Rd #057 to the Salmon River Rd #030 confluence.

Zone 3:  Panther Creek to Spring Creek to include private land up Spring Creek

• ZONE 1 is in “GO” status
• ZONE 2 is in “GO” status
• ZONE 3 IS IN "SET" STATUS

Information on evacuation status can be found on Lemhi County’s website, https://www.lemhicountyidaho.org/, under ‘News and Notices.’

Weather: Dry and seasonably warm conditions with light winds will continue into early next week under the persistent influence of high pressure overhead. Long-range models continue to indicate a pattern change starting midweek next week with increasing chances of precipitation and a return to seasonably cool temperatures.

Closures:  There are two closures associated with the Garden Fire.  The Red Rock/Black Eagle and Garden Fire Closure #004-13-24-024 and the Garden Fire Closure #04-13-24-025 can be found at on the Salmon-Challis National Forest Website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/scnf/alerts-notices. Closure #04-13-24-025 was put in place due to fire behavior and current and predicted weather, with these conditions, the Garden Fire has the potential to spot across the Salmon River to the north. If the fire spots across the river, with current fuel conditions and predicted winds, the fire has a potential to make a large run.

Visit our website at: www.fs.usda.gov/scnf/, ‘Like Us’ on Facebook @salmonchallisnf, and ‘Follow Us’ on X @salmonchallisnf. 

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