Next update will be provided Monday, November 4, 2024 
 
People & Equipment: 234 Personnel, 6 Crews, 4 Engines, 1 Helicopter, 5 Heavy Equipment, 3 Ambulances  

Current Situation: The Pack Trail Fire is 89,930 acres, Fire Confinement 84% 

Operations – On the north and east sides of the fire, crews continue to prioritize and implement suppression repair activities as road conditions allow. Cold trailing continues along the fire perimeter as safety hazards permit. On the southwestern flank, crews continue to patrol and monitor the fire line from Union Pass to the Strawberry Warming Hut. Additional snowfall along with persistent cold temperatures continue to aid fire suppression efforts. 

Safety – Residents and visitors are reminded to exercise extreme caution when dealing with fires or other possible ignition sources.  Please use caution while driving in these areas, especially on narrow secondary roads due to snow or ice accumulation. Always expect to encounter fire vehicles and heavy equipment in and around the fire area. Check with WY-DOT for updated road conditions, especially if you are planning to travel on US-26 across the Continental Divide.  

“If you fly, we can’t.” Remember that flying a personal drone over a fire area during a temporary flight restriction is illegal and can be an extremely dangerous threat to our aviators and firefighters on the ground.  

Weather—Widespread snow showers are expected to continue through Monday as additional disturbances move across the area and colder air is ushered in. Temperatures through the weekend will be in the low 30s with winds from the west to southwest 9 to 14 mph. Winds could gust as high as 24 mph. Another cold front is predicted to bring additional light snow accumulation to the area. Weather patterns will be seasonal with intermittent precipitation and cool temperatures. The weather forecast is predicted to bring fire-season ending conditions. 

Evacuations – The Fremont County Emergency Management Agency has lifted evacuation levels for the Union Pass subdivision, Lava Mountain Lodge, Triangle C Ranch, and Old Mackenzie Ranch, effective October 30, 2024.  All evacuation areas within the Pack Trail Fire have been lifted. See the Fremont County Emergency Management Facebook Page or the  Teton County Emergency Management website for additional information.  
 
Road Closures – The Union Pass Road is closed on the Pinedale Ranger District (BTNF) from Mosquito Lake to the Moon Lake Road on the Wind River District (SHO). Moon Lake Road is also closed.  
 
Forest Closures - Closure Order #04-03-24-317 is in effect from October 14, 2024, at 12:00 p.m. through November 15, 2024 at 12:00 a.m. unless rescinded. This order supersedes previous orders, including #04-03-24-316, prohibiting the same or similar acts in the same described area.  

For more information, visit: Facebook: USDA Forest Service - Bridger-Teton National Forest, USDA Forest Service - Shoshone National Forest  Pack Trail Inciweb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/wybtf-pack-trail-fire  

SHOE FIRE 

DAILY UPDATE 

October 31, 2024 

Email: 2024.shoe@firenet.gov 

Incident Website: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/cashf-shoe-fire 

Forest Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/stnf 

Fire Weather Forecast: https://www.weather.gov/wrh/CAFW?area=ECC005 

Fire Information Line: 530-338-0317 (Staffed 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM)

Quick Facts:

Location: Shasta County, CA │ Start Date: Wednesday, October 9, 2024, at 6:57 PM │ Cause: Human 

Size: 5,124 │ Containment: 85%│ Vegetation: Timber, Chapparal │ Total Personnel Assigned: 507 

Firefighters have completed all fire suppression repair work on several divisions of the fire and these repairs on both hand lines and dozer lines await inspection by Resource Advisors. Chipping has been completed along Forest Service Road 38N07 on the east side of the fire. Excavators continued installing water bars on contingency lines near the East Fork of Sulanharas Creek. In areas too steep for heavy equipment to operate, hand crews hiked in to complete repairs on control lines. On the south end of the fire, indirect control lines were also repaired. The road grader has been making excellent progress repairing impacts from heavy equipment along Fenders Ferry Road. Contingency dozer line has been repaired and mastication work is nearing completion. Heavy equipment and fire crews continue to repair control line northward up Curl Ridge on the west side of the fire. The forecasted weather event today bringing significant rainfall is expected to impact operations across all divisions of the fire. Fire suppression repairs will continue where operations are safe and feasible, given the weather conditions. Dozer line on the south side of the fire that served as an extra wide fuel break will take a few days to repair. Some fire resources have timed out in their two-week assignments and returned home, and additional resources will be released in the coming days as work continues to wrap up.

WEATHER: Rain showers will be present around the fire area for the next two days. Showers will be heavy at times, followed by intermittent periods of lighter showers and even several hours of dry conditions. Precipitation amounts between one to two inches of rain overall are possible. Day and nighttime temperatures will range from 40-50 degrees for the entire period. Winds will be southwest with gusts 15-20 mph, but may get much gustier at times when the heavier showers move through the area.

CLOSURES AND SAFETY: 

• Fenders Ferry Road at Pit River 7 Bridge: West-Bound Fenders Ferry Road (Also known as 34N17 - Forest Service Road 27) at the Pit River Bridge/Pit 7 
• Ferry Road is closed at McCloud Bridge: East-Bound Fenders Ferry Road at the McCloud River Bridge 
• A Temporary Flight Restriction is in place over the fire area https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_4_2632.html. Drones are prohibited from flying in fire areas. If you fly, we can’t.
• A temporary Forest closure is in effect https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/stnf/alerts-notices/?cid=stelprdb5392380

Wyoming Interagency Management Type 3 Team

Jon Warder, Incident Commander 

Special Notes:  Because of reduced fire threat and progress made by crews creating indirect fireline, The Bighorn National Forest closure area has been reduced to a smaller footprint. Most Forest system lands north of Highway 14 and west of Black Mountain Road 16 are now open to entry.  In addition, the section of Red Grade Road from the eastern Forest boundary up to its intersection with Big Goose Road 296 will reopen Saturday, November 2 at 7am. Red Grade Road west of Big Goose Road will remain closed for the near future while heavy equipment operators continue working to create indirect fireline. Black Mountain Road 16 remains closed between Red Grade Road and Highway 14 due to heavy equipment operations. For more details on the reduced closure, go to the Bighorn National Forest website. https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/bighorn/alerts-notices.

Current Situation: Containment has now increased to 88 percent on the Elk Fire. The additional containment along a section of the Southwest edge above Soldier Creek, and along the northwest edge near Red Canyon Creek due to recent snowfall.

With the snowfall ended and conditions clearing, graders have been able clear roads for equipment to access their worksites along Red Grade Road, where indirect fireline is under construction.  Icy roads and accumulating snow prevented crews from reaching the area on Tuesday and Wednesday.  The heavy equipment will be up and running again today, clearing trees along Red Grade Road to create current and future fire control lines to protect the Sheridan Municipal watershed and nearby structures.

Working at lower elevations less impacted by snow, the Suppression Repair group was able to make progress with projects along the front range of the Bighorns. Yesterday, firefighters with hand tools took on the challenge building water bars across a steep stretch of repaired dozer line in the eastern section of the fire area. Their work will help channel water off of the repaired line, reducing the potential for erosion. Today, firefighters will continue similar work, assisted by heavy equipment. Crews will also be repairing fences that were damaged by fire suppression activities.

Weather, Fuels, and Fire Behavior: Today over the fire will be mostly sunny with max temps from 31-37, with humidity levels around 45 percent. Winds will be out of the southwest, with occasional gusts of around 15-20 at higher elevations. Humidity levels increase tonight with a slight chance of rain.

Closures and Advisories: 

The modified Bighorn National Forest Closure reduces the closure area to a smaller footprint. Forest Closure Order No. 02-02-06-24-08 order and the related map can be viewed here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/bighorn/alerts-notices. Wyoming State Game and Fish is also re-opening several locations, including Amsden Creek Wildlife Habitat Management Area and the Kerns Wildlife Habitat Management Area, which will be open to non-motorized use only. This link provides more information: https://wgfd.wyo.gov/news-events/wyoming-game-and-fish-department-reopens-most-properties-sheridan-county

Elk Fire Statistics: Size: 98,352 acres   |   Containment: 88%   |   Total Personnel: 171|   Location: West of Sheridan, WY

Reported: September 27, 2024   |   Cause: lightning

Rush Fire

Fire Information - 580-257-7839        2024.Rush@FireNet.gov

InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/okwmr-rush-fire 

Facebook: @WichitaMountainsWildlifeRefuge

Thursday October 31, 2024

Overview: The Rush Fire is primarily on the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) and lands administered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Oklahoma Forestry Services. The Rush Fire is currently 12,488 acres and 61% contained. There are currently 23 engines, 1 Type 1 crew, 2 dozers, 3 helicopters, 4 water tenders and 202 people assigned to the fire. 

Today, Lake Lawtonka reopens to the public after being closed due to firefighting operations. Thank you to the City of Lawton for your coordination and support of the firefighting efforts. 

Operations: Yesterday, firefighters continued to mop up around the fire perimeter closest to the communities of Mountain Village, Camp Y’Shua, and Mt. Sheridan Estates on the north and northeastern perimeter of the fire. Along the northern edge, dozers also established a contingency line from Rain Gauge Flat east to Mountain Village. Additional engines and firefighters continued to patrol and monitor all areas of the fire perimeter along Hwy 115 and Hwy 49 along the eastern and southern fire perimeter. A hot shot crew and engines identified and extinguished areas of heat along Black Bear Flats on the northwestern edge of the fire, working 100 feet in from the fire interior.

Today, on the northeastern edge of the fire, firefighters will focus on breaking up dozer berms along the fire edge, exposing any heat that may remain inside those berms. On the northwestern edge of the fire along Black Bear Springs, a hot shot crew and engines continue to identify and extinguish hot spots and areas of heat. Additional engines will continue to monitor and patrol Hwy 49 and Hwy 115. Minimal fire behavior is expected today, but firefighters will remain vigilant with the changing wind direction and the potential for new fire starts.  

Weather/Fire Behavior: Last night, at least a quarter inch of rain fell across the fire in a line of thunderstorms that moved across the state. A strong cold front arrives this morning, bringing cooler weather with highs near 70 degrees. Winds will be out of the north, but much lighter than in the past few days. 

Air Quality: Communities around the Rush Fire will experience Good Air Quality today. Current Smoke Outlook

Evacuations: There are no evacuations in place for the Rush Fire. Residents close to the fire area should stay alert and informed on the current fire situation. Changes to evacuations will be made in consultation between fire managers and the Comanche County Emergency Management. Residents can sign up for the Comanche County Emergency Notifications and Alerts through their website at https://www.comanchecounty.us/emergency-notifications-systems

Closures and Restrictions: Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge is currently closed due to smoke impacts from the Rush Fire and to ensure the safety of firefighters and the public. This closure is for all public use areas, including Charon’s Garden Wilderness Area, Dog Run Hollow Trail System, Boulder Cabin and Picnic Areas, Lost Lake, Doris Campground, the Environmental Education Center, the Visitor Center, Holy City, the Parallel Forest, and Mount Scott.  

All entrance points to the refuge are closed. There are road closures on Highway 115 at the Cache and Meers Gates, on Highway 49 at the West Gate located Northwest of Charon’s Garden Wilderness Area and at the Medicine Park Refuge entrance. Indiahoma Road is also closed South of Charon’s Garden Wilderness Area. Entering a closed National Wildlife Refuge is a violation of federal law and is cause for fine or arrest.

Comanche County has a countywide burn ban in effect. 

A temporary flight restriction is in effect in and around the fire area. The use of personal drones is always prohibited on the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. If you fly, we cannot fly.

Rush Fire Smoke Outlook for October 31- November 1, 2024

FIRE

The Rush Fire fire is currently estimated at 12488 acres and is 61% contained. Fire activity for the Rush Fire fire is expected to remain low.

SMOKE

Temperature will stay in the 70's today with Winds this morning out of the north 9-19 mph switching to NNE 11 mph with some gust upward of 18 mph. The winds will be out of the NE - ENE this evening 4-5 mph switching out of the East 5-mph with some gusts 8-15 mph. With overnight light rains on the fire, we may see some light smoke on smoldering heavy fuels. GOOD air quality to continue today within the forecast area.

HEALTH STATEMENT

Smoke can be harmful to your health. Check with your doctor if there are any health concerns and monitor your local air quality conditions using the Fire and Smoke Map.

AIR

Pile burning will continue today across the Lolo National Forest. Pile burning reduces the amount of fuels that are available to burn, lowering a wildfire’s intensity and reducing risks to firefighters and communities, a key component of the Wildfire Crisis Strategy. 

Missoula Ranger District: Firefighters will conduct approximately 40 acres of  pile burning on the Missoula Ranger District. Pending conditions, the pile burning will take place 3.5 miles northwest of Lolo Hot Springs off  Forest Road 33 at the junction of Wagon Mountain Road and Howard Creek Road. Smoke may be visible from Highway 12 and Lolo Hot Springs.

Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District:  The Plains/Thompson Falls District will conduct pile burning at the Plains Ranger District.  Smoke may be visible from Plains. 

Superior Ranger District: Firefighters on the Superior District will conduct  up to 35 acres of pile burning on the Hall Wood Timber Sale project located 5 miles northeast of Superior.  Smoke may be visible from Superior and Interstate 90.   

United States Department of the Interior 
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE 
Rocky Mountain National Park 
Estes Park, Colorado 80517

10D ROMO-VRP
Closure Order #24-001 
11/01/2024

Closures, restrictions, and public use limits:

Closure Order – Portions of park area: Under the authority provided to the Superintendent in 36 CFR 1.5, the following areas administered by the National Park Service within Rocky Mountain National Park are closed, effective immediately, until further notice, due to a prescribed burn. The following park areas are closed:

• Specific geographic location for the closure includes an area west of Beaver Meadows Visitors Center (BMVC) and south of U.S. Highway 36, with the western terminus being at the intersection of U.S. Highway 36 and Bear Lake Road. The southern terminus of this closure will extend to Beaver Brook Creek.

Authority: 36 CFR 1.5(a)(1)

Notice: This administrative order applies to all individuals subject to the regulatory authority of the National Park Service (NPS) within the boundaries of Rocky Mountain National Park, including park visitors, government employees, concession employees, park residents and stakeholders, except as follows:

• Government Employees carrying out their official duties.

Finding: The NPS issues this administrative order for the purposes of maintaining public health and safety due to a prescribed burn.

These directives require the NPS to take the actions identified above because:

• This closure is necessary for the maintenance of public safety, and the implementation of management responsibilities, to include rehabilitation of affected areas.

This order is effective immediately and will remain in effect until further notice. The effectiveness of this order will be assessed on an ongoing basis, and the order will be modified or rescinded when conditions warrant.

Approval: /s/ Jay Shields, Acting Superintendent, 10/29/2024

State and Federal resources for landowners affected by wildfire are available.  Please take a look at this flyer for more information, and contact one of the representatives for more information.

October 30, 2024 
For Immediate Release 
Kyle Patterson 970-586-1363 

Rocky Mountain National Park announces plans for prescribed burn this Friday and Saturday, if conditions allow  

Based upon the potential for favorable weather and fuels conditions, fire managers at Rocky Mountain National Park are planning to conduct a prescribed burn beginning on Friday, November 1, 2024. Firefighters plan to burn approximately 100 acres of the 334-acre Headquarters Unit on Friday, November 1 and Saturday, November 2. This burn unit is located inside Rocky Mountain National Park, west of the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center and south of U.S. Highway 36. Because of the fuel type that will be burned, which include mainly grasses, heavy and prolonged smoke is not expected from this operation. 

The primary goal of the project is to reduce the threat of wildland fire to adjacent communities and NPS infrastructure by using prescribed fire to reduce the amount of fuels available in this area. When fighting the East Troublesome Fire in 2020 and the Fern Lake Fire in 2012, firefighters were able to take advantage of previous and existing prescribed fire and hazardous fuels treatment areas that provided a buffer between the fires and the town of Estes Park. Prior hazard fuels projects were instrumental in stopping both fires from crossing Bear Lake and Trail Ridge Roads. 

If conditions are favorable, ignitions are planned to occur on Friday, November 1 and Saturday, November 2. Firefighters will be on scene for the duration of the operation and will be patrolling the burned area overnight after operations conclude each day. Smoke from the prescribed burn will be visible throughout the day of the burn, mostly during the warmest part of the day. With cooler temperatures in the evening, smoke may linger and accumulate in low-lying areas. 

Fire operations near the Beaver Meadows Entrance to RMNP may cause brief delays or divert outbound traffic through Fall River Entrance. Motorists should watch for fire vehicles on the roads and allow extra time for entering and exiting the park. Traffic control will be in place on U.S. Highway 36 within the burn area. Additional information will be shared on InciWeb and on RMNP’s official social media channels. NPS Fire Information Officers will be available at Beaver Meadows Visitor Center to answer questions. 

For the safety of visitors and firefighters, park visitors will not be allowed to stop along U.S. Highway 36 within the burn area. Visitors will also not be able to walk within the burn area. 

Smoke may be visible both inside and outside the park. Every effort will be made to minimize smoke impacts on visitors and the adjacent community; however, some smoke is anticipated to disperse east of the park. Smoke may affect your health: For more information see https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health. 

Safety factors, weather conditions, air quality, personnel availability and environmental regulations are continually monitored as part of any fire management operation. For more information please contact the park Information Office at (970) 586-1206. 

- NPS -
 

Fall Pile Burning Projects Planned 

on the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest 
 

The Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest may implement prescribed fire pile burning projects this fall/winter, as weather and fuels conditions allow. Prescribed fire and pile burning activities are highly weather dependent, relying on close coordination with the National Weather Service and air quality specialists to determine the best possible weather conditions to promote smoke dispersal and limit smoke impacts.

The Forest has developed pile burning plans for the following units for the respective Ranger Districts. Maps of the specific units can be found under the "Announcements" tab in the Inciweb site.

Dillon RD:  

Black Mountain piles - 12 miles south of Jackson on Forest Service Road 919

Harrison Park Trailhead piles - 10 miles north of Polaris on Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway

Middle Fork Little Sheep Creek piles - 10 miles southwest of Lima 

Wisdom RD:

Pintler Face piles (Calvert Creek) - northwest of Wisdom on the 1223 road in Calvert Creek 

Pintler Face piles (Seymour Creek) - west of Mill Creek Highway 274 on Forest Service Road 934

Steele Creek piles - 6 miles east of Wisdom on road 2420, from South Fork to Triangle Park area

Calvert Hill piles - 19 miles northeast of Wisdom, along Forest Service Road 70648 

Pettengill Creek piles - south of Wise River, along Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway, at Stine Creek and Sheep Creek

Trail Creek piles- 20 miles west of Wisdom, along Forest Service Road 106 off Highway 43.

Butte RD:

Basin Creek piles - Basin Creek watershed, 10 miles south of Butte

Red Rocks piles - north of the Bernice exit off I-15, 22 miles north of Butte

Madison RD:

Johnny Gulch piles - 20 miles south of Ennis along Forest Service Road 324

Pintler RD: 

Bowles piles - 22 miles southwest of Philipsburg, south of MT Hwy 83 near Skalkaho Pass area

Upper Willow piles - 16 miles northwest of Philipsburg, along county road 88

EDLV piles - 10 miles northeast of Opportunity, east of Interstate 90 between Galen and Warm Springs exits

Hand piles - smaller hand piles located at Georgetown Lake, East Fork Reservoir, Middle Fork of Rock Creek, Stony Creek, and Henderson Mountain

Why burn piles? Pile burning operations help reduce accumulations of fuels from previous projects or fire incidents, increasing landscape wildfire resilience and reducing the risk of uncharacteristic wildfire effects on the landscape. 

Public notifications: Prior to initiating the prescribed fire or pile burning operations, fire professionals assess conditions, conduct a test burn, and notify local governments and interested publics via website postings, email, social media, and news releases. Implementation and accomplishment updates will also be posted to the Forest website, the Prescribed Fires Inciweb page, and the Forest’s Wildland Fire Information Facebook page.

Smoke: Minimal smoke impacts are expected with pile burning operations. Larger piles will normally consume completely in a few days, with smaller hand piles taking less time. Smoke may be visible from adjacent communities and roadways. Smoke tends to pool in lower elevations and along roadways during the evenings and early morning hours, so motorists should take note during those times. 

Contact the B-D Forest Fire PIO, Terina Hill, at (406) 683-3920, or the B-D Fuels Program Manager, Greg Schenk, at (406) 683-3870, for additional information.