Single Publication

Incident Commander:  A. Jones
Location:  10 miles southwest of Wise River
Start Date: 7/25/2024 
Cause: Undetermined
Size: estimated at 70-80 acres 
Resources on Site:  3 type 2 hand crews; 2 engines; 2 helicopters available to assist
Total Personnel:  approximately 80

KEY MESSAGES: 
Reduced visibility from smoke drifting in from fires in the Pacific Northwest prevented firefighters from flying aircraft to get a good visual on the fire’s location yesterday.

Fire managers are urging people to stay out of the fire area for safety reasons.

CURRENT STATUS/PLANNED ACTIONS: 
The fire is burning in the upper end of Grouse Creek off the Pioneer Scenic Byway on the Wisdom Ranger District. Firefighting resources responded to the fire, and three helicopters assisted with water bucket drops during the initial attack phase. Fire retardant from air tankers is not effective in these fuel and landscape conditions. Crews disengaged during the afternoon hours of July 26 due to active fire behavior and the lack of safety and/or landing zones for helicopters. Firefighters will assess the situation on the ground, scouting for opportunities to access the fire and create safe anchor points for firefighting operations. Ensuring firefighter safety and protecting life and property are of the utmost importance.

Working in cooperation with our interagency partners and local community officials, fire managers will be meeting to identify and prioritize critical values at risk. Additional resources have been ordered. As they arrive, fire managers and agency officials will collaborate to utilize resources to protect the prioritized values.

WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR:
The fire is burning mainly in a subalpine fir fuel model, in heavy timber on steep rocky terrain. Available fuels include large amounts of dead and down trees. These conditions pose additional hazards to firefighters, limiting access and affecting on-the-ground progress.

Fire behavior has been very active and extreme, including individual and group tree torching on all flanks and spotting. Dead fuels along the ridges at the highest elevations are consuming completely, given the intense fire behavior.

The forecast includes a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly in the afternoon and early evening. Light and variable wind becoming west 8 to 13 mph in the morning.  Winds could gust as high as 23 mph.