Update: (September 12th, 9:40 p.m.)
The Middle Fork Complex Fire Closure Order has been revised to align with the Wapiti Fire Closure. The updated order now closes roads 582 and 563, as well as road 579 from its intersection with 563 eastward to its junction with Highway 21.
UPDATE (Sept. 12, 11:15 a.m.): The Middle Fork Complex is still roughly 61,000 acres and has reached 30% completion.
Temperatures are below normal for this time of year with a relative humidity remaining at or above 60%. The increased clouds and relative humidity will reduce fire activity to smoldering and creeping along the forest floor with possible pockets of increased activity in areas with large dead and down vegetation.
Thursday’s focus is assessing safety conditions of the Bulldog and Nellie Fire areas to ensure any hazards are mitigated prior to reengaging in firefighting operations.
There will be a community meeting at 6 p.m. on Friday, September 13 at the White Barn Building, near 85 Severance Road in Garden Valley.
UPDATE (Sept. 11, 10:20 a.m.): The Middle Fork Complex is just over 61,000 acres, with 352 acres of growth on Tuesday night.
There are over 650 personnel working to fight the fire, with crews working to hold the fire east of the Middle Fork corridor.
Highway 21 remains closed from the Sourdough Lodge in Lowman to Stanley Lake Road (MP 84 to 126) due to nearby wildfire activity.
The community meeting scheduled for Sept. 11 is canceled due to possible inclement weather. There will instead be a community meeting at 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 13, at the White Barn Building, near 85 Severance Road in Garden Valley.
UPDATE (Sept. 10): The Middle Fork Complex fire has reached over 60,809 acres of burned area with just 30% containment. Over 697 personnel are working to fight the blaze, including 18 hand crews, 26 engines, and 4 helicopters.
Today, the crews are expecting winds from the southwest up to 25 mph, with the same dry conditions. When the weather gets better, the Scott Mountain Tower will operate a fuel mitigation.
Closures: Highway 21 is closed from Sourdough Lodge in Lowman to Stanley.
UPDATE (Sept. 5, 3:30 p.m.): The Middle Fork Complex Fire has reached over 57,800 acres of burned area with just 28% completion. Over 781 personnel are on the scene, including 16 hand crews, 36 engines and 4 helicopters.
A community meeting will be held on Friday at 6:00 p.m. at the White Barn Building in Garden Valley. Boise National Forest with representatives will be on hand to provide updates, and key information about the fires.
Closures: Highway 21 from Sourdough Lodge (Lowman to Stanley - MP 84 to 130) is closed due to the wildfire.
UPDATE (Sept. 4, 3:00 p.m.): The U.S. Forest Service says the west side of the Bulldog Fire, along Middle Fork Road remains secure.
Crews on the Nellie Fire are mopping-up hot sports on the west side of the fire line.
The Forest Service says a major focus is constructing fire lines near Deadwood Reservoir, to direct the fire into previously burned areas.
A community meeting will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 4 at 6:00 p.m. at the White Barn Building in Garden Valley.
UPDATE (Sept. 2, 9:30 a.m.): A community meeting will be held Monday, Sept. 2 to update on the Middle Fork Complex Fires, including the Nellie and Bulldog Fires, which have burned over 56,000 acres since starting on Aug. 8.
The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning Monday morning, with the inversion that had a modifying effect on the fire over the weekend expected to lift and be replaced by high winds and thunderstorms. Fire behavior analysts are anticipating very active fire behavior on Monday.
More than 900 personnel are working to fight the fires, with crews focusing their efforts on structure protection in the Silver Creek and Boiling Springs areas near the Bulldog Fire.
The community meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Monday at the White Barn Building, near 85 Severance Road, in Garden Valley. The Incident Commander, key team members, and Boise National Forest representatives will provide the latest fire updates and address any questions.
UPDATE (August 27, 9:56 am): The fires burning in the Middle Fork Complex remain at 5% containment as Highway 21 remains closed from milepost 84 - 130.
The Nellie and Bulldog Fires have burned a combined 47,400 acres since August 8. Now the goal for fire crews is to herd the larger Nellie Fire into a previously burned area to prevent it from moving north.
No homes or structures in the Deadwood area near the fires have been lost at this time.
A community meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday, August 28 at 6 pm at the White Barn Building (85 Severance Rd) in Garden Valley. The meeting will see the incident commander as well as other key team members providing updates on the fire containment progress.
UPDATE (August 26, 10:30 am): The fires burning in the Middle Fork Complex have continued to grow following a series of evacuations ordered for parts of Boise County.
The Nellie and Bulldog fires now cover 46,994 acres in the area and remain just 5% contained.
A community meeting will be held on Monday, Aug. 16 at 6:00 pm, at the white barn, 85 Severance Road. The incident commander and key team members are expected to provide updates on the fires burning in the Middle Fork Complex and address questions from community members.
UPDATE: Danskin Station and Hanging Valley Subdivision remain under level 3, 'GO' evacutaions on Sunday.
The U.S. Forest Service says the Middle Fork Complex, a combination of the Bulldog and Nellie fires is now 45,992 acres in size.
Banks-Lowman road is closed from Lowman to Alder Creek Road, near Garden Valley.
A community meeting will be held on Monday, Aug. 16 at 6:00 pm, at the white barn, 85 Severance Road.
Original Story: The Boise County Sheriff's Office has ordered level 3, 'GO' evacuations for the Danskin Station and Hanging Valley Subdivision.
Lightning Creek Road is under level 2, 'SET' evacuations, while South Fork Rd, north of Grimes Pass is under level 1, 'READY' orders.
Banks-Lowman road remains partially closed on Saturday, as the Middle Fork Complex continues to burn north of Crouch, in Boise County.
The road is closed between the Alder Creek Airstrip in Garden Valley to Lowman.
The U.S. Forest Service will hold a community meeting on Saturday at 6 PM to provide updates and address questions.
The meeting will be held at 342 Village Circle in Crouch.
On Friday, both the Nellie and Bulldog fires both grew in size.
