Evacuation order issued as Wapiti Fire spreads near Stanley Lake in Idaho • Idaho Capital Sun
Authorities have issued an evacuation order for Grandjean and parts of Stanley as the Wapiti Fire spreads north toward Stanley Lake in what fire officials call “extreme behavior.”
Firefighters have also expanded the Wapiti Fire exclusion zone north and east to include Highway 21 toward Stanley and parts of U.S. Forest Service lands in the Sawtooth National Forest and Salmon-Challis National Forest, according to a Press release.
Custer County Sheriff’s Office Evacuation order applies to Zone 1 near Redfish Lake.
The evacuation route runs along Highway 21 north to Stanley and Highway 75, fire officials said in a Press release.
While a section of Highway 21 east of Lowman to Stanley is closed, Officials suggest that traffic to and from Stanley use Highway 75 as an alternative route.
“There is no direct public access from the highway to surrounding areas such as Grandjean, Bull Trout, Cape Horn, Boundary Creek or Seafoam,” a press release said.
Officials said Friday they had no forecast as to when Highway 21 could reopen.
The Wapiti Fire – a lightning-caused wildfire that started on July 24, three kilometers southwest of Grandjean. — According to officials, the area has now grown to 35,631 acres and is 10% contained.
Fire officials said 263 firefighters and 19 fire engines were on duty Friday. On Friday afternoon, Boise National Forest officials decided to assign responsibility for fighting several fires – Bull Trout, Wapiti, Bulldog and Nellie – to two Complex Incident Management Teams.
“This management structure will enable CIMTs to more effectively tailor their responses to the unique challenges of each fire and address the specific needs of the affected communities,” fire officials said in a press release.
Great Basin CIMT 3 assumed command of the Bulldog and Nellie fires from Northern Rockies CIMT 5 today. Going forward, the Nellie and Bulldog fires will be referred to as the Middle Fork Complex, the news release said. On Saturday, Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 5 will transfer responsibility for the Wapiti and Bull Trout fires to Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team 1.
A community meeting to introduce the Great Basin CIMT 3 will be held at 6 p.m. on Aug. 24 at the Garden Valley Hall Community Center, 342 Village Circle in Crouch, Idaho. Incident Commander Brett Waters, key team members, Boise National Forest representatives and others will be in attendance to provide an update on the Middle Fork Complex and answer any questions, the release said.
Crews are working around the clock – using helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft – to cool down the fires, officials say. Firefighters are working in “extreme fire weather conditions” and protecting the public and firefighters by removing the public from areas threatened by the fire is important for safety.
Officials believe that the weather forecast favors “extreme fire development” and that the fire could spread northward due to southerly and southwesterly winds.
A Red Flag warning was continued Friday due to low humidity, gusty southerly winds and an approaching cold front. Authorities are forecasting increasing southerly winds of about 5 to 12 mph and gusts up to 40 mph as early as midday Friday as an inversion dissipates.
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Boise National Forest expands exclusion areas around wildfires
The Boise National Forest has also expanded the restricted areas in connection with the Bulldog and Nellie fires.
The new closure went into effect Friday and includes Hot Springs Campground, Danskin Rest Area Boat Launch, Pine Flats Campground, Deadwood Campground and the Deadwood River Access Site. The closure area north and east of Garden Valley has expanded southward to include only U.S. Forest Service lands.
Learn more about the Wapiti Fire
The new information hotline for Wapiti Fire is 208-593-7132. Contact information will remain the same after Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 1 takes over operations at Wapiti Fire at 6 a.m. Saturday.
The Middle Fork Complex hotline for information on the Bulldog and Nellie fires is 208-992-3045.
For more information on the Wapiti Fire, call a dispatch center behind Stanley City Hall. The fire department also recommends following the Boise County Sheriff’s Office and Custer County Sheriff’s Office Facebook pages to stay updated.
