Single Publication

WEST MOUNTAIN COMPLEX

Boulder, Snag, Wolf Creek, Dollar & Goat Fire Updates

August 27, 2024 

QUICK FACTS

Fire                      Location                                         Size                     Containment          Start Date

Boulder                7 miles SW of Cascade                 2,396 acres           57%                       7/24/2024

Wolf Creek           8 miles SW of Donnelly                1,154 acres           95%                      7/24/2024

Snag                       8 miles E of Cascade                     27,398 acres         3%                        8/5/2024

Dollar                     17 miles NE of Cascade                2,930 acres           0%                        8/5/2024

Goat                        11 miles SE of Cascade                 2,253 acres           0%                        8/5/2024

Cause: Lightning (All Fires)

Total Incident Personnel: 1,084

Army crews from the 14th Brigade Engineer Battalion based at Joint Base Lewis McChord are currently assisting with suppression efforts on the West Mountain Complex.

Weather | Anticipated Fire Behavior: 

Yesterday’s warmer and drier conditions allowed for firing operations on the Snag Fire north of Warm Lake Road and along the southwest corner. Continued warm and dry conditions today will allow for additional firing operations to aid in securing lines. Under these warming and drying conditions, increased fire behavior is expected.

Boulder Fire:                                                                                                                                    https://tinyurl.com/ycdfv3tv

An infrared flight on Sunday night showed areas of scattered heat on the southwest side of the Boulder Fire. Yesterday, firefighters and army crews used hose lays to mop up hotspots, reducing the chance for fire spread. Mop up and chipper operations along the western flank will continue, reducing buildup of vegetation and mitigating potential for new spot fires.

Dollar Fire:                                                                                                                                                https://tinyurl.com/bef6r3tz

Yesterday, increased fire activity on the northern edge spread into the Payette National Forest. Crews prepared line in this area for an expected firing operation today. Army crews will provide support for the firing operation. Firing operations aid in containment by safely removing remaining pockets of fuel between the handline and the existing burned area. Increased fire activity is expected today, and a helitack crew is assigned to assist with reconnaissance and monitoring of fire activity.

Snag Fire:                                                                                                                                               https://tinyurl.com/4k9dk3mu

The Snag Fire crews conducted firing operations yesterday and will continue today. In addition to firing operations north of Warm Lake Highway, firefighters and Army crews mopped up and secured along the western flank yesterday. On the fire’s interior, crews removed heat that was threatening an unburned cabin. Today, crews will mop up and patrol areas burned yesterday along Warm Lake Road and continue mopping up and securing line along the western flank. Additional firing operations are planned along the southern end of the fire, east of Forest Road 406 and north of Forest Road 409. Army crews will support by holding the fire line during these operations.

Wolf Creek Fire:                                                                                                                                      https://tinyurl.com/mcksrfvh

At 95% containment, the focus on the Wolf Creek Fire is mopping up any remaining hotspots, repairing and rehabilitating fire line, and backhauling equipment so it can be used on other fires. These actions will continue over the next few weeks. Management of the fire returns to the Payette National Forest at 6 am Wednesday, Aug. 28.

Goat Fire:                                                                                                                                               https://tinyurl.com/2h4a3dvr

A contingency line was prepared along the East Trail yesterday, in case the fire should advance to the northwest, while air reconnaissance continued over the fire area. A Wildland Fire Module will conduct ground reconnaissance and take fuel samples to aid in the development of plans and strategies for establishing containment.

Frequently Asked Question

Q: Why are forest closures in place?

A:  Public and firefighter safety is the top priority on every incident. Closures protect the public from hazards, such as burning stump holes, heavy equipment use, fire weakened trees that can fall long after a fire front passes, and other concerns. Roads are often used as containment lines, so firefighters are frequently found working directly on roadways where visibility may be obscured by heavy smoke. Therefore, closures reduce traffic and promote firefighter safety. They allow firefighters to focus on their work with less concern for public safety.                                                                                                                                        

Other regional fire information: 

Middle Fork Complex (Nellie, Anderson, and Bulldog Fire): https://tinyurl.com/3rhawr5y 

Wapiti Fire: https://tinyurl.com/yf7reydj 

Bulltrout Fire: https://tinyurl.com/tatwwk5t 

SNAG FIRE EVACUATION INFORMATION

The Valley County Sheriff’s Office issued a “ready” evacuation order for Warm Lake residents and the North Shore Lodge at Warm Lake on August 7. The map can be found on Inciweb: https://tinyurl.com/42auxnk8. A second “ready” evacuation order was issued on August 8 for the Horsethief area, including the YMCA Camp, and areas of Scott Valley. This map can also be found on Inciweb, with the relevant areas outlined in purple:  https://tinyurl.com/4vfj657x

Review the READY, SET, GO evacuation procedure for Valley County: https://www.co.valley.id.us/ReadySetGo

For timely information on evacuations, check out your county’s emergency alert system. 

• Valley County: https://www.co.valley.id.us/CompleteEmergencyNotificationandAlerting
• Adams County: https://public.alertsense.com/SignUp/PublicUser.aspx?regionid=1077

ROAD CLOSURES

Warm Lake Highway Closure: The Valley County Sheriff’s Office is allowing vetted residents and contractors (those providing services to residents in the Warm Lake, Yellow Pine, and Big Creek areas) to come and go as needed without an escort along the Warm Lake Highway, dependent on weather and fire activity. The highway remains closed to the public and will only be open to those approved in advance by the Sheriff’s Office. For updates on county closures visit: https://www.co.valley.id.us/departments/SheriffsOffice.

FOREST CLOSURES

Hunting Closures: Prior to entering the backcountry, Idaho Fish and Game advises hunters to check with their local Forest Service ranger district offices or county sheriffs’ offices for fire closures in their hunt areas. For more information visit: https://tinyurl.com/4td8hwzc

The Boise National Forest modified or expanded their wildfire closures on August 12, 2024, to address public and firefighter safety and respond to increased wildfire growth. This closure area begins at the south end of the Dollar/Oro (Snag) fire closure area and continues south to Crouch and the Banks-Lowman Hwy, and east to the 579, 563 and 582 roads.

Dollar Fire Closure:  The Payette National Forest implemented an area closure on August 23, covering an area north of the Boise National Forest closure, to provide for public safety around the Dollar Fire. National Forest System trails #099, #100, #101, and #302 are impacted by the closure. 

Wolf Creek Fire Closures: On the Payette National Forest, a closure includes popular National Forest System roads around the Wolf Creek fire such as: sections of NFS Road #1763 (West Mountain Jeep Trail), #835, #206, and #326. On the Boise National Forest, NFS Road #435 (Anderson Lake Road) was closed on August 1. 

Boulder Fire Closures: The Boise National Forest has issued a closure order #0402-04-98 for NFS roads, trails and lands encompassing the Boulder Fire. The closure was enacted to protect public safety and support fire suppression activities. The closure includes Blue Lake and Snowbank Mountain Road (#446) along with all #404 and #421 system roads. 

For maps and more detailed descriptions of the closures on the Payette National Forest, please visit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/payette/alerts-notices

For maps and more detailed descriptions of the closures on the Boise National Forest, please visit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/boise/alerts-notices 

Fire Restrictions: Stage 1 Fire Restrictions have been issued for the Payette Fire Restrictions Area on the Payette National Forest and the West Central Mountains Fire Restrictions Area on the Boise National Forest. For more information on the restrictions and a very helpful interactive map, visit https://www.idl.idaho.gov/fire-management/fire-restrictions-finder/

Temporary Flight Restrictions

Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR) are in place over the Boulder, Dollar, Snag, and Goat Fires. Wildfires are a no-fly zone for unauthorized aircraft, including drones. If you fly, we can’t. For more information, visit http://knowbeforeyoufly.org.

Important Links

• Payette National Forest: https://www.fs.usda.gov/payette
• Payette National Forest Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PayetteNationalForest
• Boise National Forest: https://www.fs.usda.gov/boise
• Boise National Forest Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BoiseNationalForest
• Idaho Department of Lands: https://www.idl.idaho.gov/fire-management/