Friday September 20, 2024

All evacuations orders have been lifted for Gem County starting at 8:00 a.m. today.

The Boise and Payette National Forest reduced the Lava-Boulder Fire Closure Order effective today, opening more areas to the public (see below). 

Emmett and Cascade Ranger Districts on the Boise National Forests rescinded Stage 1 fire restrictions effective at 8:00 a.m. today. 

A Community Meeting will be held in Ola this evening at 7:00 p.m. at the Ola Community Hall, 21750 Main Street, Ola, Idaho.

Overview: The Lava Fire is on the Boise and Payette National Forests and lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management and the Idaho Department of Lands. The fire is located north of Emmett and west of Lake Cascade and started by lightning on Monday, September 2. It is burning in tall grass, brush, and timber. 

The Lava Fire is currently 97,844 acres with 57 percent of the perimeter contained. 734 personnel are assigned, including 17 crews, 1 large helicopter, 1 small helicopter, 30 engines, 10 bulldozers, 16 water tenders, 7 excavators, 1 skidder and 8 ambulances.

Property remaining in an area that is evacuated or impacted by Forest Service closures must remain until fire managers, Sheriff’s departments, and emergency management departments deem the area is safe for reentry. 

Operations: Yesterday, as a drying trend continued, firefighters made good progress all around the fire. Backhaul of firefighting equipment continued in the eastern flank. Chipping operations continued along Forest Service Road 446E and Gopher Road to reduce burnable vegetation near structures. In the northern flank, grinding of burnable vegetation and removal of hazard trees continued along the Cascade Ridge bulldozer line between Indian Mountain Road and Jeep Mountain Road. Smoke was detected from burning isolated logs and stumps in the interior of this area. Direct handline construction continued from the northeastern fire edge south to Anderson Creek to meet with a direct handline on the northwestern fire edge. Crews mopped up heat sources along the handline in the western flank and remained on patrol to respond when needed. Suppression repair crews repaired roads in the Little Weiser Road system and bulldozer line in the interior. Mop up continued on bulldozer lines in the southern flank. Hotshot crews built direct line on the fire edge along Forest Service Road 653 and completed masticating branches along Forest Service Road 626. 

A firefighter was injured in the southern flank by a rolling log but was quickly transported to the hospital, treated and released. Training that occurred during the rain event this past Tuesday helped firefighters respond quickly and effectively. Firefighters use the term “golden hour” to describe the first 60 minutes after a traumatic injury occurs and the window in which trauma care must be initiated for the best outcome. Firefighters on the southern flank responded to yesterday’s injury and had the injured firefighter in the helicopter in 38 minutes, well within the golden hour. This morning, Safety Officer Ed Bratcher and personnel assigned to the Lava Fire applauded firefighters for their excellent response to the medical emergency.

Today, unmanned aircraft systems (drones) will be used to detect heat and fire activity along containment lines and throughout the fire perimeter,

On the northern flank, saw work will continue to remove hazardous trees on Forest Service Road 435 to allow firefighters safe access to interior handlines. Crews will prepare and improve alternate bulldozer line between Indian Mountain Road and Jeep Mountain Road. Crews will continue to clean up vegetation along the line between Indian Mountain Road and Jeep Mountain Road. Any equipment that is not being used around structures will be backhauled. Hand crews will continue to install direct fire line along the fire edge between the Little Wesier Creek and Anderson drainage working east toward a bulldozer line. Crews will continue to remove hazardous trees on Forest Service Roads 206 and 835. 

On the eastern flank, the primary focus will be finishing chipping to reduce thick, burnable vegetation on Forest Service Road 446E and Gopher Road. Crews will backhaul any excess equipment. They will work alongside resource advisors to repair bulldozer lines and assess equipment needs.

On the southern flank, firefighters continue to monitor fire activity near the Gross Community, ready to respond by mop up if necessary. Crews are working northeast along Forest Service Road 653 building direct and indirect lines and cold trailing. Firefighters are installing fire hose to the north of Sage Hen Reservoir and Forest Service Road 626. 

On the western flank, crews continue to patrol and mop up containment lines by moving further into the fire from established lines to cool hot spots. Firefighters will work alongside resource advisors in the southwest to repair bulldozer line that was installed for containment. 

Weather/Fire Behavior: Slightly drier and fairer weather is forecasted all day. Minimal cloud cover will provide little to no shade across the fire. Although temperatures are below normal, they will continue to increase with highs in the 60s. Relative humidity continues to drop and will be down to 30 percent as conditions dry. Winds are expected to increase from the north to northwest direction at 7 to 12 mph, with gusts in the upper teens. Fire activity may increase as conditions clear and dry, but it is expected to burn at minimal spread and low intensity. Firefighters will continue to watch for new ignitions from recent lightning that may ignite under sunny conditions.

Evacuations: Adams County Sheriff’s Office Downgraded to a Level 1 “READY” for residents south of South Grays Creek, along Little Weiser River Road in Indian Valley, North of South Grays Creek Road to Highway 95, and the Mesa Area. These evacuations notices are effective as of Tuesday, September 17, 2024. 

Gem County: no evacuations in effect as of 8:00 a.m. today. 

Valley County Sheriff’s Office Zones 2 – 6 are in a LEVEL 1 “READY” Evacuation notice. All remaining zones have been removed from any evacuation status for the Lava Fire effective Tuesday, September 17, 2024. 

Closures and Restrictions: The Boise and Payette National Forests implemented a joint Lava Fire Area, Road, and Trail Closure for public and firefighter safety. The southern portion of this closure area follows roads 601 (which remains closed) and 644 (which remains open). The northern boundary follows a portion of the Payette National Forest’s road 186 (open) and crosses over to the Boise National Forest just south of trail 116. Snowbank Road (446) and Sage Hen Reservoir area remain closed, French Creek Campground remains open. This closure adjustment became effective on September 19, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. 

Gem County Road and Bridge issued the following road closures: Third Fork Road at Nesbitt Lane, Second Fork Road at Nesbitt Lane, and Nesbitt Lane. The Sweet-Ola Highway is closed at the High Valley intersection in Ola. Please be advised that the Gem County Sheriff’s Office is staffing the road closure check points.

A temporary flight restriction has been reduced and is in effect in and around the fire area. This includes the use of personal drones. If you fly, we cannot fly.

Ignitions on West fire anticipated to continue into the weekend

Leer en español. 

Highlights/Operations: Ignitions are expected to continue today on the West Fire. Yesterday and overnight, crews continued to implement the plan to bring fire to the perimeter lines. On the west side of Milk Ranch Point, firefighters held the ignitions above Pine to wait for higher relative humidities. Aerial ignitions continued to west of Camp Geronimo and fire is now completely around Camp Geronimo. Additional aerial ignitions started near the Arizona Trail, down the Webber Road and north of the Control Road.

Today aircraft and crews will continue ignitions along the Control Road, west towards SR 87. Firefighters are also looking for the right conditions conduct ignitions along the dozer line east of Pine. Residents of east Pine should expect to see increased fire activity through the night as well as increased smoke. Water sources, pumps and watering systems are all in place and ready for the ignition operation and all lines have been prepped. On the east side of the West Fire, crews are beginning to backhaul equipment.

On the Preacher Fire, repair of the dozer line continues. The fire is 90 percent contained.

Weather: Friday and Saturday will see a continuation of slightly below normal temperatures under a mostly sunny sky. Highs 74 to 82 degrees both days. Winds are forecast be south-southwest 5 to 10 mph with gusts of 15 to 20 mph. Minimum humidity levels will range between 18 and 28%

Safety: A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place over the West fire area, which includes uncrewed aircraft systems or drones. Reminder that if you fly we can’t, unauthorized drone flights pose serious risks to firefighter and public safety and the effectiveness of wildfire suppression operations.

Closure:  The Tonto National Forest has issued a closure for land surrounding the West Fire, this includes Pine Trailhead. 

Evacuations: Pine residents on the east side of SR 87 and east of North Pine Creek Canyon road are in SET status. Geronimo Estates residents near the West Fire are in SET status. An interactive map is available to stay up to date with evacuation levels related to both the West and Preacher Fires. 

Receive emergency notifications from Gila County.

Smoke: During ignitions, smoke may settle in low-lying areas overnight. Residents are encouraged to close windows at night to avoid smoke impacts. Talk with your doctor and plan for how to manage your health conditions when it is smoky. Additional resources for how to prepare for wildfire smoke.  

For the latest news and information about the Tonto National Forest, follow along on Facebook @TontoNationalForest, ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) @TontoForest or Instagram @tontonationalforest and on the Tonto National Forest website.

Unified Command: SACIMT2
Fire Size: 14,104 acres
Percent Contained: 93%

Primary Strategic Control Line: 96%
Personnel: 316
Cause: Lightning

Start Date: Saturday, August 3, 2024, at 10:05 a.m.
Location: Southeast of Three Rivers, CA

This is the final daily update for the Coffee Pot Fire. The Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks will release information if fire conditions change.

CURRENT SITUATION: The Southern Area Blue Team will transition to the local Type 3 Incident Management Team at 0700, on Saturday September 21, 2024. Firefighters will continue to monitor containment lines on all perimeters of the fire with special emphasis along Mineral King Road and the Horse Creek drainage area. Engines and firefighters will remain present in the Horse Creek / Mineral King Road area to ensure the fire remains within the current footprint and are able to respond to increase fire behavior, if needed. Suppression equipment continues to be backhauled from areas of the fire where no longer needed.

WEATHER: Following Thursday’s unsettled weather pattern that resulted in temporary cooler and wetter conditions, a gradual warming and drying trend will begin on Friday. This warming will increase temperatures to 50-70 degrees over the fire elevations with relative humidity of 40-50%. Sustained west-southwest winds will reach 3-7 mph with gusts of 10-15.

SMOKE IMPACTS: Today is the last forecast for smoke related to the Coffee Pot Fire. Haze around the fire will be visible during the day. Expect GOOD air quality with some hours of MODERATE in areas closest to the fire. For more information on current wildfire smoke impacts in your community, please visit AirNow.gov or fire.airnow.gov.

EVACUATION NOTICES: The Tulare County Fire Department continues to have an Evacuation WARNING in place for zone TLC-E095. To find your zone, please refer to: protect.genasys.com.

FIRE INFORMATION: For Coffee Creek Fire information, please visit Caknp Coffee Pot Fire Information | InciWeb (wildfire.gov).

BLM AND PARK CLOSURES: The portion of South Fork Drive within Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and trails accessed from the road, including the Ladybug and Garfield Grove Trails, are closed. Recreational access to the Mineral King area of Sequoia National Park is closed to the public. This applies to Mineral King campgrounds, trailheads, and area trails. All other areas of the parks are open but are likely to be impacted by varying levels of smoke and poor air quality. Park closure information is available online at nps.gov/seki. The Bureau of Land Management has also issued a closure of the Case Mountain Extensive Recreation Management Area at blm.gov/press-release.

PUBLIC NOTICE: Wildfires are a no-fly zone for unauthorized aircraft, including drones. If you fly, we can’t. For more information, visit knowbeforeyoufly.org. 

Devil’s Knob Fire Update for Friday, September 20, 2024 

KEY MESSAGES: 

The Umpqua National Forest lifted all Public Use Restrictions (PURs) and decreased fire danger to Moderate across all districts on Forest land. The Devil’s Knob Fire area closure will remain in place as firefighters continue to work towards containment objectives. Beginning at 12:01 am on Monday, September 23, 2024, the Forest will move to Industrial Fire Precaution Level 1 (IFPL). 

Management of the Devil’s Knob Fire will be transferred to a Type 3 Incident Management Team on Saturday, September 21st at 6:00 pm. 

CURRENT STATUS: 

Resources: 603; Crews: 19; Engines: 9; Dozers: 1; Water Tenders: 7 

Aircraft: One Type 1 helicopter, one Type 3 helicopter 

Stump holes and buried fuels including tree roots continue burning throughout the fire area. These leave behind pits and voids with hot material veiled by thin layers of soils and ash. Crews will methodically check for concealed underground heat as mop-up operations continue to progress. This process strengthens the line and reduces the risk of the fire escaping it in the future, especially as warm weather continues into fall. 

With clearer skies, smoke will be more visible within the fire perimeter. Crews will monitor and extinguish smokes in and heat sources that pose a threat to the fire line. Additional containment is expected today in the Flat Creek drainage and along the 1610 road. Suppression repair activities will be ongoing for four to five more days, which will alleviate impacts to road systems and drainages by dozer and heavy machinery from suppression actions earlier in the incident. 

WEATHER / FIRE BEHAVIOR: 

High pressure will build over the region today, kicking off a marked warming and drying trend. Temperatures will reach the low 70s today and relative humidity will range between 45-55% in the fire area. 

SAFETY AND CLOSURES:   

Closures on the Umpqua National Forest can be found at https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/umpqua/alerts-notices.  

Umpqua National Forest restrictions can be found at https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/umpqua/fire.  

Fire Restrictions for Bureau of Land Management can be found on the Oregon-Washington blm.gov page. 

Douglas Forest Protective Association restrictions can be found at https://www.dfpa.net/public-fire-restrictions.  

Oregon Dept. of Forestry restrictions can be found at https://www.oregon.gov/odf/fire/pages/restrictions.aspx. 

Pursuant to Title 36 CFR 261.50(a) [and/or (b)], the prohibition listed in Order number 01-17-01-24-001 applicable to the Salmon and Red River Ranger Districts, dated August 30, 2024, and signed by Molly Ryan is hereby terminated.
 

Done at Kamiah, Idaho, this 18th day of September 2024.
___________________________
Molly Ryan
Acting Forest Supervisor
Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests

Pursuant to Title 36 CFR 261.50(a) [and/or (b)], the prohibition listed in the following Orders applicable to the Red River Ranger District, dated August 21, 2024, and August 30, 2024, signed by Molly Ryan are hereby terminated.

• 01-17-05-24-001 Cracker Jack
• 01-17-05-24-002 233 Road

Done at Kamiah, Idaho, this 18th day of September 2024.
___________________________
Molly Ryan
Acting Forest Supervisor
Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests

September 20, 2024

Today will be the FINAL UPDATE from Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 5.

The team will transfer command of all fires back to the Bitterroot National Forest on September 20, 2024 at 6 p.m.

NEW PHONE NUMBER for fire information: 406-499-2997.

CHANGES TO CLOSURES

• The Johnson Fire Area and the Railroad-Daly Fire Area Closures will be terminated on Friday, September 20that 8 a.m.
• The Sharrott Creek Fire Area closure is still in effect but was reduced in size, effective September 18th.
• The Skalkaho Highway (Highway 38) road closure will be modified on September 20that 7 a.m. and will now be closed from milepost 14.5 to 21.4.
• Forest Service Road 75 (Skalkaho Rye) will be open.
• Forest Service Road 711 is open; however, you cannot get to Hwy 38 from Road 711.

Visit Montana DOT for the most updated information: https://www.mdt.mt.gov/. More information on Bitterroot National Forest area closures can be found at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/bitterroot/alerts-notices

Current Status 

Johnson (3 miles south of Springer Memorial Community, in the East Fork)

Cause: Lightning

Size: 6,687

Completion: 59%

Personnel: 14

Sharrott (3 miles west of Stevensville)

Cause: Lightning

Size: 3,204

Completion: 83%

Personnel: 137

Daly and Railroad (Railroad and Skalkaho Creeks confluence, 26 miles southeast of Hamilton)

Cause: Undetermined

Size: 6,816 (Daly), 1,007 (Railroad)

Completion: 59% (Daly), 35% (Railroad)

Personnel: 20

CURRENT STATUS 

Excavators continue to work on the west and north flanks of the Johnson Fire and are on schedule to complete suppression repair efforts by the end of the weekend. On the Sharrott Creek Fire, excavators continue to pull back berms on constructed firelines.Chippers have completed their work, demobilizing and returning home. Suppression repair work, where necessary, continues onDaly and Railroad Fires.

WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR 

Drier and milder conditions will continue over the next few days. Temperatures will rise into thehigh 60s in the valley and high 50s at the higher elevations. Minimum relative humidity will be around 40% with mostly sunny skies. Southwest winds will be sustained around 10-15 mph with gusts up to 25-30 mph.

Fire behavior will be isolated smoldering, primarily in stump holes. Large heavy fuels are saturated and no longer support burning or combustion.

Closures: Multiple closures remain in place for public safety. Panther Creek Trail and Thunder Creek Trail north of Junction camps are closed. Go to the park website https://go.nps.gov/fireclosures for a complete list.

Key Messages 

This is the final update for the Short Draw Fire.  

Today is the last day that the Short Draw Fire will be managed by David Hamilton’s DNRC County Assist Team. The fire will be 100% contained and controlled by end of day today, September 20th. Command will be transferred back to Powder River County and Campbell County at 6 a.m. on Saturday, September 21, to ensure continued monitoring and management of the fire. Resources have and will continue to demobilize through end of today’s shift. 

Current Status 

Yesterday, excavators, dozers, and road graders continued the repairing and rehabilitating contingency lines that were previously constructed. Meanwhile firefighters patrolled and monitored the fire to mitigate any residual heat near the control lines. 

Today, crews will investigate and extinguish hot spots using data from the Infrared Awareness and Assessment (IAA) flight. Heavy equipment will continue repairing contingency lines ensuring the stabilization of the soil and reducing erosion risks. This process aims to restore the landscape to its natural state by minimizing environmental impacts and promoting the regrowth of native vegetation. 

The temporary flight restriction (TRF) over the fire area was lifted yesterday. 

Weather and Fire Behavior 

A cold front will push south through the fire area Friday afternoon. Temperatures will be in the high 70s with winds from 10-15 mph throughout the day. Friday night will be winds gusting up to 18 mph and temperatures around 45 degrees. 

Today will be the FINAL UPDATE from Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 5. 

The team will transfer command of all fires back to the Bitterroot National Forest on September 20, 2024 at 6 p.m.

NEW PHONE NUMBER for fire information: 406-499-2997.

CHANGES to Closures

• The Johnson Fire Area and the Railroad-Daly Fire Area Closures will be terminated on Friday, September 20th at 8 a.m.
• The Sharrott Creek Fire Area closure is still in effect but was reduced in size, effective September 18th. 
• The Skalkaho Highway (Highway 38) road closure will be modified on September 20th at 7 a.m. and will now be closed from milepost 14.5 to 21.4. 
• Forest Service Road 75 (Skalkaho Rye) will be open. 
• Forest Service Road 711 is open; however, you cannot get to Hwy 38 from Road 711.
• Visit Montana DOT for the most updated information: https://www.mdt.mt.gov/.  More information on Bitterroot National Forest area closures can be found at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/bitterroot/alerts-notices

Johnson Fire:

Cause: Lightning

Size: 6,687

Completion: 59%

Total Personnel: 14

Phone Number: 406-403-7976

Current Status 

Excavators continue to work on the west and north flanks of the Johnson Fire and are on schedule to complete suppression repair efforts by the end of the weekend. On the Sharrott Creek Fire, excavators continue to pull back berms on constructed firelines. Chippers have completed their work, demobilizing and returning home. Suppression repair work, where necessary, continues on Daly and Railroad Fires. 

Weather and Fire Behavior 

Drier and milder conditions will continue over the next few days. Temperatures will rise into the high 60s in the valley and high 50s at the higher elevations. Minimum relative humidity will be around 40% with mostly sunny skies. Southwest winds will be sustained around 10-15 mph with gusts up to 25-30 mph.  

Fire behavior will be isolated smoldering, primarily in stump holes. Large heavy fuels are saturated and no longer support burning or combustion.