Single Publication

The Central Idaho Dispatch Zone is at HIGH Fire Danger

There have been no new fires reported on the Salmon-Challis National Forest since the last update on Monday, October 7, 2024.  To date, there have been 64 wildfires reported on the Salmon-Challis National Forest.  53 of the fires have been declared out. 

Mowitch (September 29): is approximately three (3) miles north of Indian Creek on the Middle Fork Ranger District in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. On October 9, 2024, the Mowitch and Birch fires merged and are now being reported as the Birch Fire.  The fire is burning in grass, brush, spruce, fir, and ponderosa pine.  The fire can be found on InciWeb at https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idscf-birch-fire. 

Nugget (September 13): is located approximately 40 miles west of Salmon on the North Fork Ranger District in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. The 994 acre fire is burning in fir. The fire is surrounded by and in fire scars from 2005, 2013, and 2015.  Fire managers are recommending the public do not enter the Nugget and Cradle Creek drainages.  The fire can be found on InciWeb at https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idscf-nugget-fire. 

Garden (September 8):  is located 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.  The fire is being managed by a Complex Incident Management Team and is being reported separately.  The fire can be found on InciWeb at https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idscf-garden-fire. 

Vanity (September 3): is located approximately 42 miles west of Challis on the Middle Fork Ranger District.  The approximately 600 acre fire is burning in subalpine fir and is surrounded by the 2012 Halstead Fire.  Fire managers are using 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. Specific values potentially threatened with this fire include Forest Service infrastructure. The fire can be found on InciWeb at https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idscf-vanity. 

Red Rock (September 2):  is located approximately two (2) miles east of Yellowjacket Guard Station on the Salmon-Cobalt Ranger District.  A Complex Incident Management Team is managing the fire and information is being reported separately.  The Napias Creek fire was determined to be a spot fire from the Red Rock Fire.  The fire can be found on InciWeb at https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idscf-red-rock-fire.   

Reynolds (August 22):  is located approximately 21 miles northwest of Indianola, approximately 5.5 miles northwest of Horse Creek Hot Springs Campground on the Idaho/Montana border. Fire is estimated to be approximately 2,671 acres burning in spruce and fir.  The Bitterroot National Forest is lead on this fire. 

Birch (August 17):  is located on the west side of the Middle Fork of the Salmon River on Norton Ridge on the Middle Fork Ranger District in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. The 22,163 acre fire is burning in subalpine fir.  The fire is surrounded by the 2022 Norton Fire and fire scars from the fires of 2000. The fire can be found on InciWeb at https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idscf-birch-fire. 

Greyhound (August 11): is located approximately 46 miles northwest of Challis on the Middle Fork Ranger District.  The 97 acre fire is burning in subalpine fir and lodgepole pine on the edge of the 2021 Boundary Creek Fire is 100% contained. 

Wapiti (July 24):  started on the Boise National Forest, burned onto the Sawtooth National, and around August 24th burned onto the Salmon-Challis National Forest.  The fire has been turned back over to the local unit. Information can be found on InciWeb at https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idbof-wapiti-fire. 

Thunder (July 24): The lightning fire is located approximately two (2) miles northwest of Williams Lake and approximately 12 miles southwest of Salmon.  The fire is 100% contained and controlled, fire size is estimated to be 2,474 acres and is burning in timber, sagebrush, and grass. 

Weather:  Seasonably warm and very dry conditions will continue into early Wednesday with afternoon humidities in the teens and 20s. High confidence (>90% chance) supports a pattern change starting Wednesday into Thursday as a mix of rain, snow, wind, and much colder temperatures returns to our region along a cold front.

The forest is asking visitors to be aware of the HIGH fire danger for the Salmon-Challis National Forest.  Ensure your campfire is dead out. If it is too hot to touch, it is too hot to leave! One Less Spark Means One Less Wildfire. Since June 1, Forest employees have found and extinguished at least 13 abandoned campfires. 

Nationally, there are 31 uncontained large fires being managed under a full suppression strategy and 17 large fires managed under a strategy other than full suppression. 

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

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