Single Publication

Fire Location 

• Wolf Creek: 5 miles W of Donnelly, ID 
• Boulder: 9 miles SW of Cascade, ID 

Size 

• Wolf Creek: 1,146 acres 
• Boulder: 965 acres 

Containment 

• Wolf Creek: 4% 
• Boulder: 5% 

Personnel 

• Wolf Creek: 172
• Boulder: 441

Start Date 

• Both Fires: 7/24/2024 

Cause 

• Both Fires: lightning 

Incident Commander 

Mike Johnston, Great Basin Complex Incident Management Team #7

Summary: The Boulder and Wolf Creek Fires started on the evening of Wednesday, July 24, 2024. On July 31, an incident management team was delegated the West Mountain Complex which includes Boulder, Wapiti, and Bulltrout Fires on the Boise National Forest, and the Wolf Creek Fire on the Payette National Forest. The team is using a full suppression strategy on these lightning-caused fires. Please avoid high traffic fire areas, slow down while driving, and give the firefighters room to do their work. Be aware of aerial resources and give them plenty of space while recreating on Lake Cascade if they pull water from the reservoir. 

Weather | Anticipated Fire Behavior: The forecasted lightning and erratic winds passed over the Boulder and Wolf Creek Fires yesterday afternoon. A drying trend will return to the area for the next few days, along with rising temperatures and wind speeds. Incident meteorologists predict sustained winds of 15 MPH at ridge tops near the fires. 

Actions: Some of the lightning ignited new fires in the area, but an initial attack crew assigned to Wolf Creek was on stand-by and available to focus on the new fires. In addition, the Idaho Department of Lands lent two ‘Single Engine Water Scoopers’ similar to ‘Single Engine Air Tankers’ that scoop water to aid in the firefighting efforts. Those aircraft are being used to help initial attack on new starts from lightning. 

Boulder Fire: Fire activity on the Boulder Fire was fairly moderate yesterday. The fire is slowly burning into Fawn Creek on the north side of the fire. It also continues to burn in pockets of subalpine fir on the east side of the fire, keeping firefighters on high alert for spot fires. Crews have been building containment lines using hand tools, masticators, and heavy equipment. The Incident Management Team is organizing a night shift of firefighting crews so work can continue 24 hours a day.  

Wolf Creek Fire: Like the Boulder Fire, fire activity on the Wolf Creek Fire was fairly moderate. The most active part of the fire is on the western edge in the Little Weiser River drainage. Hotshot crews are creating a western containment line to keep the fire in check. On the northeastern edge of the fire, crews are watching for spot fires as the fire slowly advances toward the area previously burned in the 2010 Hurd Fire.  

Important Information: The Boise National Forest has issued a closure order #0402-04-98 for National Forest System (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. Near the Wolf Creek Fire, Forest Road #435 (Anderson Lake Road) was closed on August 1.  For more information on closures on the Boise National Forest please visit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/boise/alerts-notices  

On the Payette National Forest, a closure including popular National Forest System roads around the Wolf Creek fire such as: sections of NFS #1763 (West Mountain Jeep Trail), #835, #206, #326. For a map and more detailed description of the closure please visit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/payette/alerts-notices  

For the Wolf Creek Fire, the Valley County Sheriff’s Office has issued a “ready” evacuation order for residents in Zone 7 and Zone 8. The “ready” status means that there is a threat or hazard to your local area. At this level, residents should be thinking about their evacuation plan and monitoring trusted news sources for any change in evacuation status. Maps and additional information on the evacuation status can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/5n7kbuy6  

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 

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/.