Idaho State News

Idaho Department of Lands Statewide Fire Update – 8/30/2024

August 31, 2024

Published

August 31, 2024

Statewide Fire Update

This report is published weekly during fire season and covers the fire situation on land protected by the Idaho Department of Lands, Clearwater-Potlatch Timber Protective Association (CPTPA), or the Southern Idaho Timber Protective Association (SITPA), current fire statistics, the status of major fires and fire restrictions.

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IDL Fire Situation

IDL Protection Only as of August 30

Total Acres Burned, Year to Date*	24,069 Acres
Total Number of Fires, Year to Date	261 Fires
Total Human-Caused Fires, Year to Date	115 Human-Caused 49 Undetermined 97 Natural

*Acres reflect what has burned within the IDL protection area and do not reflect ownership.

IDL Fire Suppression Expenses

As of Monday, August 26, 2024, IDL has spent a total of approximately $37.1 million on fire suppression activities. Approximately $2.67 million of that is reimbursable to IDL for assisting other agencies on their fires, leaving a total estimated net obligation to the General Fund of $34.4 million so far this year.

The total obligation above includes the 2024 contracted aircraft costs and prepositioned contract engines to assist with resource scarcity. These engines are assigned across the state to boost initial attack resources.

Information on estimated fire suppression expenses incurred by U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and other agencies in Idaho may not be available until after the fire season.

Statewide Acres Burned by Ownership

SURFACE OWNER	ACRES
Idaho Department of Lands	26,794
Other State Lands	2,841
Private	99,712
Bureau of Land Management	176,755
Forest Service	228,630
Other Federal	8,129
Tribe	908
Undetermined	1,016
Total Acres	544,785

Current as of August 30, 2024

Status of Major Fires on IDL Protection

There are currently no major fires under IDL protection.

IDL Incident Management Team Fires to Date

Flat Fire

The Southwest Forest Protective District received management of the fire on August 8. Management was transferred to the North Idaho Gold Team on August 16. On August 19 the Great Basin Complex Incident Management Team 6 assumed command of the fire. The management was returned to the district on Tuesday August 27. The final acreage for the fire was 3,732 acres.

Gwen Fire

Ponderosa Forest Protective District/Nez Perce Tribe transferred management to the Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team Three (Bill Wall I.C.) on July 28. The fire was transferred back to local managers on Saturday, August 3.The final acreage for the fire was 28,820 acres.

Cherry Fire/Steelhead Fire

Craig Mountain Forest Protective District transferred management to the IDL Type 3 Team (Nate Rogers I.C. and Graydon Galloway IC3 trainee) on July 30. Management was transferred back to the district on August 2. Cherry Fire was 53 acres and the Steelhead Fire was 59 acres.

Texas Fire

Ponderosa Forest Protective District transferred management to an Northern Rockies Team 8 on July 18. Management was transferred back to the district on Thursday, July 25. The fire was 1,565 acres.

Billy Creek Fire

Craig Mountain Forest Protective District transferred management to the Northern Rockies Team 1 (Brent Olson I.C.) on July 7. Management transferred back to the district on Friday, July 12. The fire was 3,185 acres.

Status of Major Fires Outside IDL Protection

Middle Fork Complex

Agency/Management:	Boise National Forest
General Location:	9 miles east of Garden Valley
Acres Burned:	53,689 acres
Cause:	Lightning
Containment:	6%
Personnel:	966
Inciweb:	https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idbof-middle-fork-complex-fire-bulldog-nellie-anderson

Snag Fire

Agency/Management:	Boise National Forest
General Location:	9.5 miles east of Cascade
Acres Burned:	25,235 acres
Cause:	Lightning
Containment:	3%
Personnel:	447
Inciweb:	https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idbof-snag-fire

Dollar Fire

Agency/Management:	Boise National Forest
General Location:	18 miles northeast of Cascade
Acres Burned:	3,442 acres
Cause:	Lightning
Containment:	0%
Personnel:	68
Inciweb:	https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idbof-dollar-fire

Wapiti Fire

Agency/Management:	Boise National Forest
General Location:	2 miles southwest of Grandjean
Acres Burned:	92,141 acres
Cause:	Lightning
Containment:	10%
Personnel:	1,178
Inciweb:	https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idbof-wapiti-fire

Boulder Fire

Agency/Management:	Boise National Forest
General Location:	9 miles southwest of Cascade
Acres Burned:	2,372 acres
Cause:	Lightning
Containment:	57%
Personnel:	336
Inciweb:	https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idbof-boulder-fire

Goat Fire

Agency/Management:	Boise National Forest
General Location:	11 miles SE of Cascade, Idaho
Acres Burned:	2,580 acres
Cause:	Lightning
Containment:	0%
Personnel:	7
Inciweb:	https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idbof-goat-fire

Wolf Creek Fire

Agency/Management:	Payette National Forest
General Location:	west facing slope of West Mountain,
Acres Burned:	1,154 acres
Cause:	Lightning
Containment:	95%
Personnel:	65
Inciweb:	https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idpaf-wolf-creek-fire

Limepoint Fire

Agency/Management:	Payette National Forest
General Location:	8 miles northeast of Oxbow Dam
Acres Burned:	32,735 acres
Cause:	Lightning
Containment:	93%
Personnel:	243
Inciweb:	https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idpaf-limepoint-fire

Payette Wilderness Fires

Agency/Management:	Payette National Forest
General Location:	Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness
Acres Burned:	1,538 acres
Cause:	lightning
Containment:	unknown
Personnel:	0
Inciweb:	https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idpaf-payette-wilderness-fires

Burnt Creek Fire

Agency/Management:	Payette National Forest
General Location:	Frank church River of No Return
Acres Burned:	600 acres
Cause:	unknown
Containment:	unknown
Personnel:	0
Inciweb:	https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idpaf-burnt-creek-fire

Farrow Fire

Agency/Management:	Payette National Forest
General Location:	Frank church River of No Return
Acres Burned:	852 acres
Cause:	unknown
Containment:	unknown
Personnel:	0
Inciweb:	https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idpaf-farrow-fire

Parks Fire

Agency/Management:	Payette National Forest
General Location:	Frank church River of No Return
Acres Burned:	2,043 acres
Cause:	unknown
Containment:	unknown
Personnel:	0
Inciweb:	https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idpaf-parks-fire

Cracker Jack Complex

Agency/Management:	Nez Perce – Clearwater National Forests
General Location:	All four fires are located within half a mile of each other: two and a half miles east of Concord
Acres Burned:	1,345 acres
Cause:	Lightning
Containment:	0%
Personnel:	65
Inciweb:	https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idncf-cracker-jack-complex

Ace Butte

Agency/Management:	Nez Perce – Clearwater National Forests
General Location:	30 miles Southeast of Grangeville,
Acres Burned:	152 acres
Cause:	Lightning
Containment:	unknown
Personnel:	11
Inciweb:	https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idncf-ace-butte-fire

Anchor Fire

Agency/Management:	Nez Perce – Clearwater National Forests
General Location:	Halfway between Hanover Mountain and Square Mountain in the Gospel Hump Wilderness
Acres Burned:	400 acres
Cause:	Lightning
Containment:	unknown
Personnel:	11
Inciweb:	https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idncf-anchor-fire

Wye Fire

Agency/Management:	Nez Perce – Clearwater National Forests
General Location:	Approximately four and a half miles northwest of Freeman Peak
Acres Burned:	6,763 acres
Cause:	Lightning
Containment:	unknown
Personnel:	4
Inciweb:	https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idncf-wye-fire

Statewide Fire Map

This GIS-enabled Statewide Fire Map uses data from the Integrated Reporting of Wildland-Fire Information (IRWIN) system. Unlike other online fire information webpages or databases, such as Inciweb, which may only report on incidents that threaten structures or cover large acreages, this fire map displays information about all reported wildfires in Idaho.

Fire Restriction Information

IDL’s Fire Restriction Finder webpage includes a GIS-enabled map that highlights fire restrictions announced by the responsible jurisdictions. It also includes helpful definitions of Stage 1 and 2 restrictions, along with answers to Frequently Asked Questions.

Visit the Fire Restriction Finder Webpage

Fire Restrictions Currently in Place

Idaho has been divided into eight Fire Restriction Areas with zones established within. Each area corresponds with the fire dispatch area boundaries. Interagency coordination between fire management agencies with the areas are used to
initiate restrictions. This helps provide consistency among the land management partners, while defining the restriction boundaries so they are easily distinguishable to the public.

The purpose of fire restrictions is to reduce the risk of human-caused fires during unusually high fire danger and/or burning conditions, and when other prevention efforts have been exhausted.

The following areas are in Stage 1 fire restrictions that include all lands managed by or are under the fire protection of Idaho Department of Lands, Bureau of Land Management, the Forest Service, or other tribal or federal agencies.

Cassia Zone – within the boundary of Sawtooth National Forest

North Sawtooth Zone – within the boundary of Sawtooth National Forest

Boise – West Central Mountain zone

Stage 1 restrictions prohibit:

Building, maintaining, attending to, or using a fire, campfire, charcoal grill or stove fire, except within a designated recreation site, and only within a fire structure provided by the administrative agency or landowner.
Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle, building or designated recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least 3 feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials.

Online Fire Restriction Resources

Visit IDL’s Fire Restriction Finder webpage
Download the 2023 Idaho Fire Restrictions Plan (PDF, 143 pages)

Fire Information News Feed

The Fire Information Newsfeed webpage displays the latest information about active wildfires within the more than 9 million acres protected by IDL, CPTPA and SITPA. The Fire Information News Feed automatically checks for updates published by IDL and the incident management teams managing fires on our protection every 60 seconds.