Single Publication

Limepoint and Cliff Mountain Fires

Fire Information 208-992-3032

2024.limepoint@firenet.gov

Limepoint: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idpaf-limepoint-fire

Cliff Mountain: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idpaf-cliff-mountain

https://www.facebook.com/payettenationalforest/

Thursday, August 1, 2024

The Limepoint and Cliff Mountain Fires are burning in the Hells Canyon area, located on the Payette National Forest in west-central Idaho, east of the Snake River bordering Oregon.Due to hotter and drier weather today, southwest winds, active fire along the eastern flank of the fire, tendency of fire to push northeast, and unfortified fireline west of Bear, residents of Bear who have not yet evacuated are encouraged to do so.

Limepoint Fire

The Limepoint Fire is north of Oxbow Dam in Adams County, Idaho and was started by lightning on July 24th, burning in tall grass, brush and timber. The southern part of the fire was once a smaller, separate fire named the Oxbow Fire, but both fires burned together and are now collectively known as the Limepoint fire. It is now 18,734 acreswith no containment. The area of the fire in the Indian Creek drainage threatens the communities of Cuprum and Bear, both of which remain evacuated per Adams County Sheriff’s Office. Idaho power transmission lines are threatened on the south side of the fire near Oxbow dam and throughout the fire area. 

With warmer and drier weather yesterday, the fire showed moderate fire activity, flanking and backing down slopes with occasional short uphill runs on the southwestern edge of the fire. Helicopter drops helped reduce fire activity on the most active areas, the northern flank of the fire along Allison Creek near Horse Mountain and on the eastern flank in the Boulder Creek area between the east side of Indian Creek and Forest Road 071 (Flat Creek/Barbour Road). Firefighters mopped up all spot fires east of that road. A bulldozer fireline was completed north of Cuprum and yesterday evening hotshot crews did a tactical burn to reduce the threat to the community. Hand and dozer line was completed north to Horse Mountain. Structure protection specialists completed structure protection in Cuprum and continued to prepare structures in Bear. Crews connected bulldozer and hand firelines on the southern flank of the fire north of Barbour Flat. Firefighters continued to look for potential areas to build firelines on the eastern and northern flanks of the fire. Tuesday’s new fire start, the Mad Dog Ridge Fire was declared out yesterday.

Seven hand crews, 13 engines, six bulldozers, three large helicopters, two masticators and 324 people are working on the Limepoint Fire. With hotter and drier weather favoring fire growth, firefighters will work to establish, hold and improve firelines, focusing on areas that pose a threat to the community of Bear. They will mop up along the tactical burn north of Cuprum and continue to protect, prepare and test sprinklers and other equipment around threatened structures in Cuprum and Bear. On the west flank of the fire, they will mop up 100 feet into the fire from Hells Canyon/454 Road and check for materials mid-slope that may pose a hazard by rolling into the road. Retardant drops from aircraft are planned for the east flank of the fire. Any retardant application will be at least 300 feet from the Snake River and its tributaries to protect water quality. Firefighters will continue work to contain the fire in the Boulder Creek area and along Road 071 on the eastern flank and on the northern flank along Allison Creek from Horse Mountain to the Snake River. They will continue to scout areas to identify where the fire can be held directly at its edge or from a defensible anchor point on the north and east flanks. A masticator will improve the handline completed yesterday on the southern flank of the fire and a bulldozer will complete a secondary fireline along a powerline south of the handline. When crews complete fortifying firelines, they may conduct a strategic firing operation on the southern flank of the fire. Burning will be done only under the right weather conditions and sufficient personnel and equipment to remove burnable vegetation posing a risk of uncontrolled fire spread. A night shift will work throughout the night to ensure point protection of structures at risk. 

Cliff Mountain Fire

The Cliff Mountain Fire started on July 25th in Hells Canyon National Recreation Area in wilderness just below Hells Canyon Dam 25 miles east of Joseph, Oregon in Adams and Idaho Counties, Idaho. It also was once two fires, the Muddy Fire and the Cliff Mountain Fire, which burned into each other. It is 1,102 acres with no containment, burning mostly in wilderness, with growth slowed in some areas due to steep rocks. Hells Canyon Dam and associated powerlines are threatened by the fire. Firefighters are monitoring the fire from the ground and air. Minimal fire activity was observed on the fire yesterday. No ground personnel or equipment are assigned to it, but two field observers have been ordered to monitor the fire and collect information to guide suppression tactics. Steep terrain in wilderness poses challenges for firefighter access, so fire personnel are looking to provide access for firefighters via boat on the Snake River.

Weather/Fire Behavior: The weather will continue to trend warmer and drier through the week with high temperatures today in the mid 90s, minimum relative humidity near 15 percent and southwest winds 5-10 mph, shifting to northeast winds.

Dead fuels will continue to dry, making all types of burnable vegetation available for burning. In grass, a new start could burn over 150 acres in an hour if undetected. Areas of concern are unburned areas lower on slopes into which burning material from upslope may roll down and cause fire spread. This includes areas along the Snake River on the western flank and north aspects of ridges on the northern flank. On the eastern and southern flanks, fire low on slopes may rapidly run uphill and unburned pockets west of firelines may heat up and spot over the lines to the east.

Air quality information is available at www.airnow.gov and www.wildlandfiresmoke.net. 

Evacuations: The communities of Cuprum and Bear have been evacuated per Adams County Sheriff’s Department and remain under a “GO” evacuation. 

Closures and Restrictions: The Payette National Forest issued a Forest Closure to protect public safety during the Limepoint and Cliff Mountain wildfires. The closure includes, but is not limited to the following recreation areas: Black Lake, Sheep Rock, Kinney Point and Horse Mountain Lookout. Big Bar is open. Huckleberry Campground is also closed. For more information, see the full closure orderand map at https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/payette/fire.

Kleinschmidt Grade (Forest Road 050), Calf Pen Road and Lundore Roads are closed. The Council-Cuprum Road is closed at the Forest boundary at the snowmobile parking lot. Forest Road 454, which runs along the river, is open, but please drive with caution. You may see active fire, rolling debris, firefighting equipment and firefighters on and along the road. For your safety and the safety of firefighters, do not stop on the road.

The temporary flight restriction was expanded to the north to include the Cliff Mountain Fire and narrowed on the west to exclude some area in Oregon west of the Snake River.

Stage 1 Fire Restrictions are in effect for the Payette National Forest and all state, private and BLM lands in the fire area. Prohibited: Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire or stove fire except within a designated recreation site, or on your own land, and only within a permanent landowner-provided structure; and smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle, building, or designated recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials.