Single Publication

Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team Three  

Bill Waln, Incident Commander  

COMMUNITY MEETING TONIGHT AT 6 PM FOR THE GWEN FIRE AT THE LAPWAI ELEMENTARY SCHOOL – 170 AGENCY ROAD, LAPWAI 

Location: 5 miles east Lapwai, Idaho    Date Reported: July 24, 2024 Cause: Lightning 

Size: 28,805 acres Containment: 0% Total Personnel: 204 

Current Situation:  

• Firefighters were able to make good progress on the northwest corner of the fire. Crews will continue to extinguish hotspots along the fire perimeter to secure that line today.  
• Dozer line was completed on the northwestern portion of the fire yesterday. Today, hotshots will secure this line by reducing the fuel loading between the dozer line and the active fire. This action will increase the probability of the fire staying west of Pine Creek drainage.  
• As fields are harvested, farmers are discing along the edge of their fields creating a very effective fireline. This is aiding in the fire suppression efforts on the south and west portions of the fire.  
• The structure protection group is securing structures within the fire perimeter by extinguishing any residual heat in the unburned pockets of fuel that have the potential to reburn and threaten values at risk.  
• The night shift engines will be patrolling and monitoring the fire area for any threats to the values at risk.  
• Team Three continues to work with the local law enforcement agencies in evaluating road closures and evacuations. All closures and evacuations are in place for the safety and well-being of the public and the firefighters. As soon as it is safe to do so the roads will be opened, and the evacuations levels will be reduced.   

Evacuations: Level 1 Get Ready; Level 2 Get Set; Level 3 Go. For the safety of responders please Go if asked to leave. The fire behavior is very unpredictable and life threatening.  

• Latah County Sheriff’s Office Level 1, 2, and 3 evacuation orders for multiple areas of the fire. Learn more at https://www.facebook.com/LatahCountySO  and call: (208) 882-2216 
• Nez Perce County Sheriff’s office has issued level 1, 2, and 3 evacuations orders for their county. Those are posted on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/NezPerceCountySheriffsOffice. 
• Nez Perce County Emergency Management Interactive Evacuation Map: https://bit.ly/3yewVv0  

Air Quality Information: Please visit https://fire.airnow.gov/ for resources on smoke and air quality. Air quality monitors indicate unhealthy for sensitive groups in the Lapwai area.  

Weather and Fire Behavior: Temperatures over the fire will reach up to 90 degrees with humidities ranging from 22-27 percent. Northwest winds from 2-7 mph in the morning, shifting west to northwest this afternoon at 10-18 mph with gusts to 25 mph in the upper slopes/ridges, and 5-10 mph with gusts up to 20 mph mid-slope/valley. Rain showers in the late evening continuing overnight with a slight chance of thunderstorms that could bring 30-40 mph wind gusts. 

Closures: The Idaho Transportation Department opened Highway 3 last night - EXISTING EVACUATIONS REMAIN IN PLACE. Highway 12 corridor is closed between Spalding and Lenore.  

GWEN FIRE INFORMATION 

Fire Information Phoneline: (208) 843-3534 (Time: 7am-7pm)  Email: 2024.Gwen@firenet.gov  

Facebook: @IdahoDepartmentofLands InciWeb: inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idids-2024-gwen-fire