Single Publication

Wapiti Fire Update

Tuesday, September 3, 2024 – 10:00 a.m.

Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 1

Dan Dallas, Incident Commander

Information Phone: 208-593-7132 (public) 208-901-8973 (media) Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Email: 2024.wapiti@firenet.gov

InciWeb:https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idbof-wapiti-fire

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/wapitifireinfo2024/

Information Linktree:https://linktr.ee/WapitiFireInfo2024

Interactive Map:https://tinyurl.com/WapitiFireInfoMap

Special Notes: There will be a Wapiti Fire community meeting at the fire station in Lowman at 6:00 pm tonight. Officials will also be present to answer questions about the Nellie Fire. The meeting will be streamed live on Facebook (see above link for access). 

State Highway 21 remains closed from east of Lowman to Stanley (MP84 to MP130) due to wildfire activity. Highway 75 remains open. 

Current Situation: Unstable weather allowed the fire to became very active in the afternoon yesterday as thunderstorms, lightning and winds moved into the area. Resources from the fire assisted and will continue to assist the local Forests with initial attack to extinguish any new fire starts. The clear air allowed for greater utilization of air resources with retardant and water drops supporting the efforts on the ground for both the Wapiti Fire and local initial attack. It was proven yesterday that the long hours of work put in by the firefighters to establish and strengthen firelines around communities and other values at risk was effective in checking the fire’s threat. All the firelines held and the values at risk remain secure. Crews will remain on alert today as they continue to strengthen and hold established lines. 

Division DD: Crews completed the indirect line from the Stanley Ranger Station to Redfish Lake. They will be working to extend the line from the Fish Hatchery south along the Decker Flats Road. This indirect line will check the fire’s progress in the event it moves out of Sawtooth Wilderness towards Highway 75 and values at risk. The fire in the Wilderness is slowly growing towards the south and east but is not threatening values at this time. 

Division HH: Crews and heavy equipment have completed the indirect fireline around Goat Falls, Stanley and nearby communities, extending the fireline from Goat Falls to the Stanley Ranger Station. Personnel will continue to work on strengthening the line. This indirect line ties in with the indirect line being constructed in Division DD.  

Division KK and Structure Group East: All lines held in this area. Crews will continue to secure and mop up along control lines in the Iron Creek area. Firefighters will remain in and around communities and other values at risk, watching for spot fires, maintaining defensible space and mopping up. Fire managers are feeling more comfortable with the security of the large spot east of Highway 21, as it remained secure through yesterday’s weather. It posed no threat to the community and crews will continue to assess and mop up within the spot. 

Division PP: Crews continued to secure the fire’s edge and mop up in the finger that crossed Highway 21. They are also evaluating options for checking the fire’s progress to prevent its movement north of Thatcher Creek. Crews will again work at the Bradley Boy Scout Camp and other surrounding structures, prepping the area in the event the fire crosses Highway 21 further to the northwest. 

Division MM: Crews experienced active fire behavior testing their lines yesterday. The firelines held and crews were able to check the fire’s progress. They will remain vigilant within the Bull Trout Lake area, securing the fire’s edge and watching for spot fires. Crews continue to prep along the Highway 21 corridor and have been checking the fire’s progress as it pushes west and northwest along the eastside of the highway.  

Division WW and Structure Group West:  The fire will continue to back in this area against prevailing winds and is checked up above the Warm Spring air strip. Fire managers are assessing opportunities to stop the fire’s progress in Casner Creek should it progress that far. The prep work, firelines and hoses lays around the Sourdough Lodge area, and the subdivisions of Two Ravens, Ten Ax, and Seven Peaks will continue today. The fire has crossed the Warm Springs drainage to the north and is slowly progressing towards the Eight Mile Fire scar. Crews continue patrolling within Hanging Valley and the Wapiti area, along the 524 road, and the Grandjean area looking for hot spots and removing hazards. 

Division VV:  The fire has entered Chapman Creek and fire managers will be assessing this area to see how they can check the fire’s progress to the southwest.  

Weather, Fuels, and Fire Behavior:  

The weather will remain unstable as a low-pressure system passes through the area. It will bring scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms and winds from the west northwest with gust between 15 to 25 mph. Temperatures will remain relatively moderate with relative humidity between 25-30%. The inversion will remain in place until late morning, then lifting and clearing to sunny skies. The unstable atmosphere today is conducive for challenging fire behavior. 

Evacuations: 

For evacuation information on the Wapiti Fire, please see the Custer County Sheriff’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/p/Custer-County-Sheriff-Idaho-61558947312289/  and the Boise County Sheriff’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/boisecountysheriff/. 

Red Cross has established a shelter at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints at 24695 US-93, Challis, ID. 

To sign up for Custer County CodeRED emergency notifications, text CUSTER to 99411 or enroll online at https://public.coderedweb.com/CNE/BF28E45537FF . 

To sign up for Boise County Alert Sense emergency notification enroll online at https://public.alertsense.com/SignUp/publicUser.aspx?regionid=1163 

Closures and Fire Restrictions: 

State Highway 21 is closed from MP84 to MP130 for public and firefighter safety. 

A Wapiti Fire Area Closure / Forest Order: 0414-04-151 for portions of the Boise, Sawtooth, and Salmon-Challis National Forests can be found at this site:  

https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/sawtooth/alerts-notices. 

Boise National Forest Stage 1 Fire Restrictions / Forest Order: 0402-00-63 can be found at this site: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/boise/alerts-notices. 

Sawtooth National Forest Stage 1 Fire Restrictions / Forest Order 0414-00-044 can be found at this site: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/sawtooth/alerts-notices. 

Fire restrictions on state and private lands may be found at this site: https://www.idl.idaho.gov/fire-management/fire-restrictions-finder/. 

A Temporary Flight Restriction is in place over the Wapiti Fire. Wildfires are a no-fly zone for unauthorized aircraft, including drones. If you fly, we can’t.  For more information, visit http://knowbeforeyoufly.org. 

Wapiti Fire Statistics: 

Size: over 108,017 acres    

Containment: 2% 

Total Personnel: 1510 

Location: Grandjean, ID 

Reported: July 24, 2024 

Cause: lightning 

For More Information: 

  Information Phone: 208-593-7132 

  Email:  2024.wapiti@firenet.gov 

  InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idbof-wapiti-fire  

  Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/wapitifireinfo2024/ 

  Linktree:  https://linktr.ee/WapitiFireInfo2024 

  Interactive Map:  https://tinyurl.com/WapitiFireInfoMap