Wednesday, October 12, 2022 335 acres were burned on units 22ab and 28b. Agencies present included Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Alamosa NWR, United States Forest Service, Black Hawk Fire Protection District, Frederick-Firestone Fire, Arapahoe Sheriff's Office, South Adams County Fire Department, and Lyons Fire Protection District. This will conclude the fall prescribed burning, may look into burning more of the units in November. 

 The burn planned for today, October 11, 2023 has been canceled. The current plan is to burn on, October 12, 2023. 

Bovee Fire Update

Friday, October 7, 2022 – 9:00 a.m.

Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 1

Dan Dallas, Incident Commander

Information Phone: 402-302-0368 (public)  402-937-9090 (media only)

Email: 2022.bovee@firenet.gov

Information Staffing Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Special Note: In our efforts to right size for current fire conditions on the Bovee Fire, today is the last shift for Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 1. At 7:00 am Saturday, management of the fire will transfer to a local Type 4 Incident Management Team. The Rocky Mountain team would like to thank all those who have worked so hard to assist us during our tenure here. This will be the last written update for the Bovee Fire, but updates may be posted on the Nebraska National Forests & Grasslands Facebook page as the situation warrants.

Current Situation: The Bovee Fire is 18,930 acres and 97% contained. The fire is completely surrounded by fireline. Firefighters continue to work on improving the line, mopping up, and patrolling. Structure protection forces have completed assessments and will focus today on chipping fuels near structures. Residents should note that even though the fire is approaching full containment, smoke may be visible in the interior of the fire for some time. This is normal and does not present a threat.

Division A: A UAS (Unmanned Aerial System or drone) found no heat near the line yesterday. Today, firefighters will continue to patrol the line and mop up any heat sources that may be found.

Division Z: There is one small area of heat remaining inside the fireline on the south end of this division. Though inside the fireline, this heat source accounts for the 3% of the fire that remains uncontained. Today, firefighters will grid this area to ensure all hotspots are found and mop them up. The remainder of the Division will be patrolled. Hazard tree mitigation will occur on Road 201 and Trail 112.

Division L: The UAS found two heat sources yesterday in the shelterbelt on the north end of the Division. Crews quickly mopped them up. Today, the focus will be on patrolling the fireline and mopping up any other hot spots that may be found.

Weather,  Fuels, and Fire Behavior:

Today will be the coldest day of the week with highs in the upper 40s, a minimum RH of 40%,and light/variable winds. A few scattered sprinkles are possible in the morning, but skies should clear in the afternoon. Saturday will see mostly sunny skies, highs in the upper 60s, and minimum RH of 40%. Winds will be light and out of the west. Fuels remain moist, and no additional fire spread is anticipated.

Evacuations, Closures, and Fire Restrictions:

There are no current evacuations on the Bovee Fire.

Highway 2 is open, but please use caution as there will continue to be fire traffic in and around the fire area.

An Area Closure encompassing the entire Bessey Ranger District is in place on the Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands. Fire restrictions are also in place on various parts of the Forests and Grasslands. For additional information on both, visit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/nebraska/alerts-notices

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

Bovee Fire Statistics:

Size:  18,930 acres

Containment: 97%

Total Personnel: 190

Location: 3 mi. S. of Halsey, NE

Reported: October 2, 2022

Cause: human caused, under investigation

For More Information:

  Information Phone: 402-302-0368 (public)

  Media only phone: 402-937-9090

Email: 2022.bovee@firenet.gov

  InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8437/

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NebraskaForestsGrasslands/

  Twitter: https://twitter.com/USFSNebraska?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Bovee Fire Update

Thursday, October 6, 2022 – 9:00 a.m.

Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 1

Dan Dallas, Incident Commander

Information Phone: 402-302-0368 (public)  402-937-9090 (media only)

Email: 2022.bovee@firenet.gov

Information Staffing Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Special Note: There will be a Community Information Meeting on the Bovee Fire today at 3:00 pm at the Halsey Community Center, 507 Highway 2, Halsey, NE. The public is invited. The meeting will also be streamed on the Nebraska National Forests & Grasslands Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NebraskaForestsGrasslands/ .

Current Situation: The Bovee Fire is 18,861 acres, a slight reduction from yesterday due to better mapping.  Containment has risen to 94%. Fireline now encircles the entire fire perimeter, but a few short sections are not fully secure, leaving containment 6% short of complete. These remaining areas will be a priority today as crews and engines continue to strengthen firelines and cool any remaining hotspots. Mopup, patrol, and hazard mitigation will continue on the contained portions of fireline. Structure protection forces will continue to assess and secure around structures, as well as remove burned hazard trees from roads and trails to improve safe access. Last night was the final shift for the night crew, as there is no longer a need. Night shift personnel will be rested and deployed elsewhere

Division A: Fireline construction was completed in this Division yesterday. There is one hotspot near the line that crews will be working on today. Other personnel will be patrolling the perimeter with UTVs looking for additional areas of heat. A specialized wildfire drone will also be used to search for pockets of significant heat inside the perimeter.

Division Z: Fireline was completed around the south end of the Division yesterday, tying into Division A. One hotspot remains near the line, and firefighters will mop it up today. Other staff will continue to patrol the perimeter to ensure no other hotspots arise.

Division L: Engines will be positioned on high terrain in the Division to look for any smokes that may become visible. Firefighters on UTVs and a drone will also be utilized to search for hot areas. There remains an area of heat in the shelterbelt on the north end of the Division, and firefighters will make that area a priority to mop up today.

Weather,  Fuels, and Fire Behavior:

A cold front will move through today, leading to increasing clouds and northeast winds gusting to 25 mph. The high temperature will be near 60 while the minimum humidity will be 50%. Friday will bring high temperatures in the upper 40s, a minimum RH of 60%, and southeasterly winds from 5-10 mph. There will be a chance of scattered showers through the day.

Evacuations, Closures, and Fire Restrictions:

There are no current evacuations on the Bovee Fire.

Highway 2 is open, but please use caution as there is heavy fire traffic in and around the fire area.

An Area Closure encompassing the entire Bessey Ranger District is in place on the Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands. Fire restrictions are also in place on various parts of the Forests and Grasslands. For additional information on both, visit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/nebraska/alerts-notices

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

Bovee Fire Statistics:

Size:  18,861 acres

Containment: 94%

Total Personnel: 227

Location: 3 mi. S. of Halsey, NE

Reported: October 2, 2022

Cause: human caused, under investigation

For More Information:

  Information Phone: 402-302-0368 (public)

  Media only phone: 402-937-9090

Email: 2022.bovee@firenet.gov

  InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8437/

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NebraskaForestsGrasslands/

  Twitter: https://twitter.com/USFSNebraska?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

There will be a Community Information Meeting on the Bovee Fire at 3:00 PM on Thursday October 6 at the Halsey Community Center, 507 Highway 2, Halsey, NE. Please see the flyer attached below for additional information.

Bovee Fire Update

Wednesday, October 5, 2022 – 9:00 a.m.

Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 1

Dan Dallas, Incident Commander

Information Phone: 402-302-0368 (public)  402-937-9090 (media only)

Email: 2022.bovee@firenet.gov

Information Staffing Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Current Situation: The Bovee Fire now stands at 18,932 acres and is 56% contained. Continued cool and moist weather yesterday allowed firefighters to make additional progress on completing containment lines. Over the next few days, work will gradually shift from fireline construction to line reinforcement, mopup, patrol, and hazard mitigation. Structure protection forces will remain in place to complete damage assessments and finish hazard mitigation around structures within the fire area. The night shift will continue patrolling to ensure structures and firelines are secure.

Division A: This western side of the fire, south of Highway 2, is mainly on National Forest lands. Fireline construction was essentially completed in this area yesterday. Today, crews will work on widening and strengthening these lines to be sure the fire cannot breach them. Some crew members will begin removing hazards along roads and trails by felling burned trees and removing downed trees from access corridors. A few remaining hotspots nearest to Highway 2 and along State Spur 86B will be cooled down and mopped up.

Division Z: The eastern side of the fire, south of Highway 2, is also primarily on National Forest lands. Crews are continuing to make progress on completing direct fireline construction in this area.  This will likely take one to two more shifts to complete. Once completed, the lines will be strengthened and hazard mitigation will occur similarly as in Division A.

Division L: This portion of the fire is north of Highway 2 on mostly private land with grassy fuels. Fireline is substantially completed in this Division. Engines and firefighters on UTVs will continue to patrol the fire perimeter to make sure the fire’s edge remains secure. Additional firefighters will work on the few remaining hotspots in shelterbelt areas on the north end of the Division.

Weather,  Fuels, and Fire Behavior:

Temperatures today will be in the upper 60s to lower 70s and the minimum RH will be near 40%. Skies will be mostly sunny with northwesterly winds from 5-15 mph. Increasing clouds are expected on Thursday as a cold front moves through the area. Fuels remain damp and minimal fire behavior or spread are expected over the next few days.

Evacuations, Closures, and Fire Restrictions:

All evacuations on the Bovee Fire have been lifted.

Highway 2 is open, but please use caution as there is heavy fire traffic in and around the fire area.

An Area Closure encompassing the entire Bessey Ranger District is in place on the Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands. Fire restrictions are also in place on various parts of the Forests and Grasslands. For additional information on both, visit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/nebraska/alerts-notices

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

Bovee Fire Statistics:

Size:  18,932 acres

Containment: 56%

Total Personnel: 219

Location: 3 mi. S. of Halsey, NE

Reported: October 2, 2022

Cause: human caused, under investigation

For More Information:

  Information Phone: 402-302-0368 (public)

  Media only phone: 402-937-9090

Email: 2022.bovee@firenet.gov

  InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8437/

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NebraskaForestsGrasslands/

  Twitter: https://twitter.com/USFSNebraska?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Bovee Fire Update

Currently the Siouxon Fire is 437 acres and is burning on steep, remote terrain within an unburned island within the Big Hollow Fire scar on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. The Siouxon Fire is surrounded to the west, north and east by burn scars from the Big Hollow Fire and poses little threat to escaping the fire area this late in the season. Leadership has decided that due to the time of year, location of the fire, topographic challenges, and lack of safety mitigations available, the Fire team will not be staffing the fire on the ground at this time. Fire staff are monitoring the fire daily and posting road guards and signs to keep the public safe.

Fire behavior: Continued unseasonably warm and dry conditions are giving the Siouxon Fire the ability for some growth and moderate fire activity. An aircraft flew over the fire on Sunday October 9th and confirmed that, though there is fire growth, it remains to be a creeping and smoldering ground-fire that appears to be doing some good for the forest by burning in heavy dead and down fuels within the Big Hollow footprint. Overall, the fire continues to creep and smolder, and fire activity is minimal. Low intensity fires, like the Siouxon Fire is currently, can help to reduce dead fuel accumulation and ladder fuels, accelerate the return of nutrients to the soil, and rejuvenate grasses and forbs.

Weather: Higher than normal temperatures, and low relative humidity values throughout both day and night resulted in recent fire growth, this weather pattern is expected to continue and will cause the fire to be more active this week into the weekend. Winds are expected to be out of the east during this persistent high-pressure system; however, surface level winds in the Siouxon drainage are expected to be light for the days to come.

Forest Closures: To help protect the public an area closure had been put in place. Key closures include Forest Roads 57 and 58, upper 64, Trail #130 (Siouxon Trail), and Trail #129 (Huffman Peak Trail).  View Siouxon Fire Closure Order. View a Closure Map 

Closure description: Beginning at the Forest Boundary and the north edge of National Forest System (NFS) Road 54 east along north edge of NFS Road 54 to the intersection of NFS Road 5704; east along NFS Road 5704 as it changes to NFS Road 58; east along NFS Road 58 to the intersection with NFS 64, then west along NFS Road 64 to the intersection of NFS Road 6403 then west along NFS Road 6403-216 to Siouxon Peak and east along the Siouxon Peak Trail #129B and then Huffman Peak Trail #129 north to the Forest Boundary then following the contiguous forest boundary to east and south to the north edge of NFS Road 54 and the point of origin.                    

Cause: Abandoned campfire

Acres: 437 (Infrared flight October 10 at 1130)

For more information contact the Mount Adams Ranger District Mon-Fri.:  (509) 395-2501

Inciweb: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8436

Gifford Pinchot Forest Website: http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/gp/fire

Currently the Siouxon fire is 306 acres in size and burning primarily in the Siouxon Creek drainage in the southwest corner of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. The fire is burning in a remote hard to reach area which was previously impacted by the 2020 Big Hollow Fire. The Siouxon Fire is surrounded to the west, north and east by burn scars from the Big Hollow Fire. It is anticipated that the burn scars, especially where there was high severity burn, will slow the fire’s spread. Fire personnel are actively assessing the situation and taking steps to manage the fire and provide for public safety.https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/giffordpinchot/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD1063226

Public safety closures are in place.

Closure Order
Map

*Note: Closure description is correct but map needs updating.)