·       83 acres

·       Location: 3 miles southwest of Coulter Summit within the Idaho City Ranger District

·       Start: July 27

·       Cause: lightning

·       Number of personnel: 122

Fire activity has been moderate with Isolated torching producing short range spotting. As such, crews have been successful at keeping the growth of the fire minimal as they continue with direct attack strategies where opportunities allow.

Multiple aircraft are being used including: Air Attack, 5 helicopters, Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs), large air tankers and water scoopers, which are dropping water and retardant to slow the fire’s spread allowing crews to safely fight the fire directly.

Additionally, firefighters are putting in progressive hose lays and direct hand line, to contain spot fires and east and west along the south fork of the Smith Creek drainage, which is primarily the main fire’s edge. To the north and south, crews are working to keep the fire west of National Forest System road 319F.

The Golden Fire is consuming patches of dead and down sub-alpine fir.

There are no immediate threats to structures and there are currently no closures in effect.

Widespread hot and dry conditions are expected to remain through the end of the week with temperatures about 10 to 15 degrees above normal.  
 
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·       30 acres

·       Location: 3 miles southwest of Coulter Summit

·       Start: July 27

·       Cause: Under investigation

The Golden Fire is consuming patches of dead and down sub-alpine fir. The fire burning in a steep draw with a lot of down timber making firefighter access challenging. Crews are working spot fires to slow fire spread.

There are no immediate threats to structures and there are currently no closures in effect.

A red flag warning in effect until midnight for increased winds and possible thunderstorms with light precipitation.  Very hot conditions are expected midweek and gusty winds are expected later in the week.

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BOISE - Fire crews including aircraft are responding to two new wildfires reported on the Lowman and Idaho City Ranger Districts of the Boise National Forest.

The lightning caused Warm Fire is about 15 acres and located approximately 3 miles southwest of the Bull Trout Lake area. As a precaution, campers are being evacuated from the Bull Trout Campground and east toward Idaho State Highway 21. If the fire moves to the East this evening, the road into Bull Trout Campground (National Forest System road 520) may be closed to public traffic from Highway 21 to Bull Trout tomorrow.

The Golden Fire is approximately 10 acres and located 5 miles east of Pioneerville. Crews, including Hot Shots and air attack are responding. The cause of the Golden Fire is under investigation.

Crews are working hot spots along the perimeter of the fires to reach full containment. Both the Warm and Golden Fires are expected to be fully staffed this evening.

There are no immediate threats to structures and there are currently no closures in effect. With predicted hot and dry weather expected, fire crews will continue to work hard to contain the fires over the next few days.

Forest officials ask the public to be extremely careful with all flammable materials and to put their campfires completely out, stirring the coals and ashes with water. With temperatures increasing and humidity decreasing, fuels are drying out quickly and the potential for wildfire ignitions rises daily.  

Quick Fire Facts

• Fire Location- 10 miles southwest of Caliente, NV. Located west of Rainbow Canyon Road
• Approximate Acreage- 13,008
• Containment- 100%
• Start Date- July 29, 2020
• Cause- Human- Under Investigation
• Total Personnel-269
• Jurisdiction- Ely District, Bureau Of Land Management   

 Quick Fire Facts

• Fire Location- 10 miles southwest of Caliente, NV. Located west of Rainbow Canyon Road 
• Approximate Acreage- 13,008
• Containment - 95%
• Start Date- July 29, 2020
• Cause- Human- Under Investigation
• Total Personnel- 339
• Jurisdiction- Ely District, Bureau Of Land Management 

BISHOP FIRE UPDATE
August 6, 2020

  
Quick Fire Facts

• Fire Location - 10 miles southwest of Caliente, Nv. Located west of Rainbow Canyon Road
• Approximate Acreage - 13, 008
• Containment - 90%
• Start Date - July 29, 2020
• Cause - human - under investigation
• Total Personnel - 305
• Jurisdiction - Ely District, Bureau of Land Management  

Quick Fire Facts:

• Fire Location 10 miles southwest of Caliente, NV, located west of Rainbow Canyon Road
• Approximate Acreage 13,008 (no change from day before)
• Containment 80%
• Start Date July 29, 2020
• Cause Human – Under Investigation
• Commander Jeff Knudson, Great Basin Type 2 Incident Management Team #7
• Jurisdiction Ely District, Bureau of Land Management

Total Personnel 403

Summary: It was a quiet day on the fire with minimal activity despite high winds sweeping through the area yesterday afternoon. Aerial resources focused on logistical support, hauling in food and water to firefighters camping out on the incident. Dozers completed suppression repair identified by resource advisors on the western perimeter to limit future erosion issues. Despite the rough terrain, crews were able to construct a significant amount of handline along the north perimeter. Following yesterday’s efforts, fire officials moved the containment percentage to 80%.

Late in the afternoon the Comet Fire was reported near Pioche, Nevada. A task force of engines (a contingency that includes five heavy engines and 25 firefighters) and a 22-person handcrew from Utah County were dispatched from the Bishop Fire to assist with firefighting efforts. Aviation resources also assisted with initial attack, sending over several helicopters. An infrared flight estimates that fire to be just over 700 acres as of the morning of Aug. 5.

Today: The infrared flight shows hot spots remaining along the ridge lines in the juniper to the north. Hotshot crews will focus building line in that area while other handcrews will bolster existing containment lines to ensure any remaining heat will stay within the current fire perimeter. Once fire officials enhance the northern containment lines, and are confident the fire can withstand the predicted strong winds, resources on the Bishop Fire such as type 1 handcrews will be made available to assist with other fires across the nation.

Safety: Travelers on Highway 317 through Rainbow Canyon should use caution as firefighters and heavy equipment will be entering and exiting the roadway. Drive slowly.

Weather: Very warm and dry conditions continue with highs in the lower 80’s and humidity in the single digits. A low-pressure trough is expected to move through California Wed. and Thurs. bringing increased winds from the south around 35 mph. Low humidity will continue. No precipitation is expected in the near future. A red flag warning is in place for today and tomorrow. Red Flag warnings indicate that weather in the area makes fuels very susceptible to large wildfire growth.

Quick Fire Facts:

Summary: Yesterday, crews continued making steady progress reinforcing the southern fire perimeter and continued building line around the east and west sides. Emphasis focused on the east and west sides as crews worked to secure handline through mop-up and cold-trailing. On the west side, crews constructed handline into Willow Creek Drainage. The east side near Rainbow Canyon was fairly calm, allowing firefighters to secure much of the northeast fire perimeter and construct handline around the northernmost point. Interior islands of fuel in and near the Willow Creek drainage continued active burning. Helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft provided water bucket and retardant support to ground crews throughout the day.
 
Today: Firefighters will continue to construct line to limit fire spread. Crews continue establishing handline on the east side of the fire above Rainbow Canyon and on the west side towards the Willow Creek drainage. Extreme temperatures combined with the rugged steep terrain makes line construction difficult. Most of the fire is inaccessible to vehicles, which requires operation efforts to focus on hand crews and air resources. Aerial resources will continue assisting ground efforts today with vital water bucket and retardant drops.
 
Weather: Temperatures are slightly cooler today, around 93-95 degrees, but otherwise little change. Humidity remains extremely low and overnight recoveries are poor. These conditions, along with south/southeastern winds, will keep elevated fire weather conditions in the forecast for the next several days.
 
Smoke and Safety: As the fire continues to burn, residents of southeastern Nevada and southwestern Utah might see smoke from the fire increasing into the afternoon. The Apple Fire in California is also contributing to smoke impacts in Nevada and Utah. The Bishop fire is being fully suppressed protecting various values at risk.
 
Travelers on Nevada State Highway 317 should proceed with caution and be aware that fire traffic and heavy equipment will be entering and exiting the roadway.
  
Bow hunting season has begun in nearby hunting units. Hunters are asked to stay away from the burn area.

Quick Fire Facts:

• Fire Location: 17 miles southwest of Caliente, NV, located west of Rainbow Canyon Road
• Approximate Acreage: 12,702
• Containment: 26%
• Start Date: July 29, 2020
• Cause: Human - Under Investigation
• Incident Commander: Jeff Knudson, Great Basin Type 2 Incident Management Team #7
• Jurisdiction: Ely District, Bureau of Land Management
• Total Personnel: 289 

Summary: Yesterday, crews worked to reinforce the anchor point at the southern edge of the fire and continued building line around the east and west sides. Emphasis focused on the east side to prevent the fire from dropping down into Rainbow Canyon. Fire activity continued on the northern edge as the fire burned towards Rock Springs Canyon and the northeastern flank above Rainbow Canyon. Interior islands of fuel continue to actively burn. Air resources provided support for ground crews with retardant drops from planes, and bucket drops of water from helicopters.

Today: Firefighters will continue to construct line to limit fire spread. Extreme temperatures combined with the rugged steep terrain makes line construction difficult. Most of the fire is inaccessible to vehicles, which requires operation efforts to focus on hand crews and air resources. Six various types of helicopters will be assisting ground efforts today.

Weather: A high-pressure system will remain over the fire area for the next few days, resulting in record breaking temperatures and extremely low relative humidity. These low daytime humidity's and poor overnight recoveries, combined with temperatures and gusty southern winds, will keep elevated fire weather conditions in the forecast for the next several days. The Cane Springs Remote Automatic Weather Station (RAWs), located just south of the fire, recorded a high of 103 degrees with a relative humidity of 3 percent.

Smoke and Safety: As the fire continues to burn, residents of southeastern Nevada and southwestern Utah can expect to see smoke from the fire increasing into the afternoon. The Bishop fire is being fully suppressed protecting values at risk. Currently the fire poses a threat to powerlines, structures, railroad infrastructure, and critical mule deer and desert tortoise habitat in Rainbow Canyon.

Travelers on Nevada State Highway 317 should proceed with caution and be aware that fire traffic and heavy equipment will be entering and exiting the roadway.