Evacuation order issued as Wapiti Fire spreads near Idaho’s Stanley Lake

Spreading under what officials call "extreme behavior," the over 35,000 acre Wapiti Fire burns past a tree line near Stanley Lake, in a photo taken Aug. 22. (Courtesy of Custer County Sheriff's Office Facebook page)

Officials issued an evacuation order in Grandjean and parts of Stanley as the Wapiti Fire spreads north toward Stanley Lake under what fire officials call “extreme behavior.”

Fire officials also expanded the Wapiti Fire closure area north and east to include Highway 21 toward Stanley, along with parts of U.S. Forest Service lands in the Sawtooth National Forest and Salmon-Challis National Forest, according to a news release .

The Custer County Sheriff’s Office evacuation order applies to Zone 1 near Redfish Lake.

The evacuation route is Highway 21 north to Stanley and Highway 75, fire officials announced in a news release .

While a section of Highway 21 east of Lowman to Stanley is closed , officials suggest traffic to and from Stanley use Highway 75 as an alternate route.

“There is no direct public access from the highway to surrounding areas including Grandjean, Bull Trout, Cape Horn, Boundary Creek, or Seafoam,” a news release said.

Officials said Friday they don’t have an estimate for when Highway 21 would reopen.

The Wapiti Fire — a lightning-caused wildfire that started July 24, two miles southwest of Grandjean — has grown to 35,631 acres and is 10% contained, officials say.

Fire officials say 263 firefighters were battling the fire Friday, along with 19 engines. On Friday afternoon, Boise National Forest officials decided to allocate responsibility for managing several fires — the Bull Trout, Wapiti, Bulldog, and Nellie fires — to two Complex Incident Management Teams.

“This management structure will enable the CIMTs to tailor their responses more effectively 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 the Northern Rockies CIMT 5 today. Moving forward, the Nellie and Bulldog Fires will be referred to as the Middle Fork Complex, the press release said. On Saturday, Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 5 will transfer responsibility of the Wapiti and Bull Trout Fires to Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team 1.

A community meeting to introduce the Great Basin CIMT 3 will take place at 6 p.m. Aug. 24 at the Community Center Garden Valley Hall, 342 Village Circle in Crouch, Idaho. Incident Commander Brett Waters, key team members, representatives from the Boise National Forest, and others will be present to provide updates on the Middle Fork Complex and address any questions, the press release said.

Crews are working 24-hours a day — with helicopters and fixed wing aircraft — to cool hot spots, officials say. Officials say firefighters are working in “extreme fire weather conditions” and protecting the public and firefighters by moving the public out of areas the fire threatens is important for safety.

Officials say forecasted weather could allow “extreme fire behavior,” and that the fire could spread north from south and southwest winds.

A Red Flag Warning continued Friday, amid low humidity, gusty south winds and a pending cold front. Officials project rising south winds around 5-12 miles per hour and gusts up to 40 miles per hour as early as midday Friday, when an inversion lifts.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

Boise National Forest expands closure areas around wildfires

The Boise National Forest also expanded closure areas for the Bulldog and Nellie fires.

The new closure took effect Friday, including the Hot Springs Campground, Danskin Rest Area Boat Launch, Pine Flats Campground, Deadwood Campground and Deadwood River Access Site. The closure area, north and east of Garden Valley, grew southward and only affects U.S. Forest Service Lands.

How to find out more about the Wapiti Fire

The new Wapiti Fire information phone line is 208-593-7132. Contact information will remain the same after the Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 1 takes over the Wapiti Fire 6 a.m. Saturday.

The Middle Fork Complex line for information on the Bulldog and Nellie fires is 208-992-3045.

For more information on the Wapiti Fire, an emergency operation center has been set up behind Stanley City Hall. Fire officials also recommend following the Boise County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page and the Custer County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page for updates.