UPDATE (August 28, 10:34 am): Crews have continued to hold firelines on the 27,458-acre wildfire, but flames spreading near Warm Lake Highway caused the road to be closed again on August 27.
The Valley County Sheriff's Office says the flames are too close to power lines, so power has been shut down due to safety concerns. The power is expected to be down all day.
Army crews continue to support fire personnel in the area, patrolling and mopping up hot spots.
UPDATE (August 26, 8:38 am): Fire crews were able to maintain containment lines on the 25,235-acre Snag Fire over the weekend, resulting in no estimated increase in fire size.
Containment remains at just 3%, but the Valley County Sheriff's Office is no longer requiring escorts for residents and vetted contractors looking to drive along Warm Lake Highway to the Big Creek, Yellow Pine, and Warm Lake areas.
The latest information on the Snag Fire is available here. Sign up for more timely evacuation information by enrolling in Code Red alerts here.
UPDATE (August 23, 8:02 am): The Snag Fire now measures in at 25,235 acres and remains just 3% contained.
One-way escorts through the fire area are still in place for residents thanks to the Valley County Sheriff’s Office.
The latest information on the Snag Fire is available here. Sign up for more timely evacuation information by enrolling in Code Red alerts here.
UPDATE (August 22, 8:50 am): The Snag Fire continues to see growth as weather conditions have allowed fire crews to strengthen containment lines in the area. The fire now covers an estimated 23,100 acres and is just 3% contained.
One-way escorts through the fire area are still in place for residents thanks to the Valley County Sheriff’s Office.
As firefighting operations continue in the area, a Red Flag Warning is in place due to unstable weather conditions. That could increase activity on the southern portion of the fire which has been the most active area in the fire perimeter.
Warm Lake Highway Closure: The Valley County Sheriff’s Office has closed Warm Lake Highway due to the Snag Fire. The Warm Lake Highway is closed at the Horsethief Road intersection east toward Warm Lake and from the Johnson Creek Road intersection west toward Warm Lake. Scott Valley residents will be allowed access. You can check for updates on county closures here.
The latest information on the Snag Fire is available here. Sign up for more timely evacuation information by enrolling in Code Red alerts here.
UPDATE (August 19, 9:31 am): The Snag Fire continued to grow through the weekend, now covering 21,464 acres at 0% containment.
The one-way resident escorts have continued for those living in areas affected by the fire. More information on that is available from Sheriff Kevin Copperi here.
As the week begins, fire crews are working to plumb along the perimeter, a process that involves setting up a system of hoses and water sources used to contain the fire.
Update: As of August 18th 2024
The Snag fires have reached over 20,948 acres of burned area, with 0% containment. The Valley County Sheriff’s Office, working with Great Basin Incident Management Team 2, has set up one-way escorts for residents and contractors traveling through areas affected by the Snag Fire.
UPDATE (August 16, 7:57 am): The Snag Fire has remained incredibly active in Valley County, prompting one-way resident escorts by the Sheriff's Office and the Great Basin Incident Management Team 2 through the fire area. More information on these escorts is available from Sheriff Kevin Copperi here.
The Snag Fire now covers 19,828 acres 11 miles east of Cascade and remains 0% contained.
Firefighting activity is set to increase in the coming days as more fire crews have been assigned to the Snag Fire. They'll begin working on the wildfire as warmer, drier weather sets in during the weekend.
UPDATE (August 15, 8:01 am): The Snag Fire remains the most active of the fires burning in the Boise National Forest. The fire now spans 19,563 acres and is 0% contained as the terrain is creating challenging conditions for firefighters.
Power lines along Warm Lake Highway have been de-energized to decrease the risk for fire crews working in the area.
Idaho Power will be providing residents with updates on Facebook as the situation develops.
Fire managers expect fire activity to continue today and more firefighters and equipment are planned to arrive and mobilize, as crews on the Wolf Creek Fire are reassigned to the Snag Fire.
A Red Flag Warning is in place from 10 am - 10 pm on August 15 due to incoming thunderstorms.
UPDATE (August 13, 1:09 pm): The Snag Fire was active through the night on August 12, swelling to cover 17,118 acres just 11 miles east of Cascade. Flames from the nearby Dollar Fire also spread overnight, with the smaller fire growing to 1,580 acres.
Warm Lake Highway was closed on August 12 as the fire approached the roadway, now fire crews are working to determine the length of the closure.
Fire crews have developed a point protection plan with pre-identified trigger points to activate equipment staged in the fire area including Horsethief Reservoir.
The Valley County Sheriff's Office issued a Lvel 1 (Be Ready) evacuation order for Warm Lake residents on August 7 and expanded the order to cover the Horsethief area, including the YMCA Camp, on August 8.
The latest information on the Snag Fire is available here. Sign up for more timely evacuation information by enrolling in Code Red alerts here.
UPDATE (August 12, 12:21 pm): Growth of the Snag Fire near Cascade, Idaho has prompted a closure at Warm Lake Highway. The Snag Fire now covers 13,050 acres while the nearby 1,377-acre Dollar wildfire continues to burn.
The highway is closed at the Horsethief Rd east toward warm lake and from the Johnson Creek Rd intersection west toward Warm Lake. Residents of Scott Valley will be allowed to access the area during the closure at this time.
Anyone looking to exit via the Warm Lake Highway will need to use an alternative route if an evacuation becomes necessary.
Safe evacuation routes have been highlighted in yellow in the map below. A level 1 (Be Ready) evacuation order remains in effect for those in Zone 1 around Warm Lake and Zone 2 near Horsethief Reservoir.
The Snag Fire is now within 500 feet of the Warm Lake Highway according to the Valley County Sheriff's Office.
The latest information on the Snag Fire is available here. Sign up for more timely evacuation information by enrolling in Code Red alerts here.
UPDATE: As of August 11th 2024
The Snag and Dollar fire have now reached a combined 11,900 acres of burned area. No containment for both fires have been achieved.
Snag: Last night, firefighters patrolled Warm Lake Highway to check on fire activity. In the Warm Lake residential area, they set up equipment like water pumps and hoses for potential future use. They’re working on creating a containment line around the southern edge of the fire to protect resources near Horsethief Reservoir. An indirect line to the south will help with this containment. The fire is spreading in all directions, with the most growth in the northeast. Keeping responders and the public safe is the top priority, along with protecting power lines on Warm Lake Highway, private structures, and the highway itself.
Dollar: The Dollar Fire grew only a little yesterday. It reached an old burn scar at the top of the eastern ridgeline, where it’s expected to burn out. Firefighters are monitoring its progress toward the Dollar Trailhead and a nearby drainage area.
UPDATE: As of August 10th 2024
Both the Snag Fire and Dollar fire are reaching almost 10,000 acres of burned area, just adding to the multiple fires across Idaho.
Dollar Fire: Showed little movement yesterday. It’s burning in a rocky bowl and is slowed by fire scars to the east. The fire is slowly spreading northeast towards the South Fork Salmon River and west towards the North Gold Fork Trailhead and Boise National Forest Road 402.
Snag Fire: Burning in steep terrain with heavy fuels. It is moving southwest towards Horse thief Reservoir and north/northeast towards Warm Lake Highway. A plan is being developed to protect structures at Warm Lake, along Warm Lake Highway, and at Horse thief Reservoir. The team is also finding water sources for firefighting and deploying water-handling equipment to the Warm Lake area.
UPDATE: Both the Dollar and Snag fires have reached over 7,000 acres of burned area. The fires have still been at 0% containment with only 35 personnel helping the Snag fire.
Dollar Fire: Little to no movement was seen yesterday for the fire. The projected direction of this fire will be continuing to spread north and flank east toward South Fork Salmon River.
Snag Fire: Yesterday the Snag fire crossed the 409 road, with the burning also in a steep terrain. The progress is to the southwest, and also moving northeast towards Cougar Rock.
UPDATE (August 8, 10:07 am): The Snag and nearby Dollar Fire both remain at 0% containment as the lightning-caused fires continue to spread through the area just east of Cascade.
The Snag Fire now covers 1,451 acres and is the larger of the two wildfires, with the Dollar Fire searing 1,065 acres at this time. 75 fire personnel are split working on both of the fires.
The Snag Fire has prompted closures in the Boise National Forest. Forest Service lands between the northern Forest boundary and National Forest Service (NFS) Road 409, about 20 miles to the south. The closure starts from the intersection of the Forest boundary and NFS Road 474; it continues South on NFS Road 474 to the junction with Warm Lake Highway. The closure continues south one mile to the west of Shoreline Road (NFS Road 474) down to NFS Road 409.
The Valley County Sheriff's Office has issued a Level 1 (Be Ready) evacuation order for Warm Lake resident and the North Shore Lodge at Warm Lake due to the increased activity at the Snag Fire.
Included in the Level 1 (Be Ready) evacuation is the Horsethief YMCA camp and areas of Scott Valley.
Here's what a Be Ready evacuation order means according to fire officials:
- There is a threat/hazard in your local area.
- Monitor local social media, news channels and radio for emergency information.
- This is the time to prepare any family members with special needs, mobile property, and pets and/or livestock.
- If conditions worsen, emergency services may contact you via an emergency notification system.
- Designate an out-of-area contact who can relay information.
- Plan how you’ll transport your pets.
- Keep the car fuel tank at least half full.
For timely information on evacuations, check out Valley County’s emergency alert system here.
Stage 1 Fire Restrictions have been issued for the West Central Mountains Fire Restrictions Area on the Boise National Forest. For more information on the restrictions, check the Idaho Department of Land's interactive fire map.
UPDATE (9:24 pm, August 7th)
The Snag Fire has grown to about 4,000 acres and burning northeast towards the Warm Lake Highway. The Valley County Sheriff’s Office as issued a ‘READY’ stage evacuation order Warm Lake residents and the North Shore Lodge. In addition, they have closed eastbound traffic on the Warm Lake Highway.
The Valley County Sheriff’s Office has issued a “ready” evacuation order for Warm Lake residents and the North Shore Lodge at Warm Lake due to increased fire activity on the Snag Fire, 11 miles east of Cascade.
The Valley County Sheriff's office says residents not currently at their homes will be granted one-time access into the Warm Lake area if they can provide a valid address.
In addition to the ready evacuation order, ingress along the Warm Lake Highway on the east side of Scott Valley is closed. Right now, westbound traffic is allowed toward Cascade along the Warm Lake Highway.
The Valley County Sheriff's Office says anyone who remains in the area should be prepared for a full closure of the Warm Lake Highway and have enough fuel to exit the area via the Deadwood area or Lick Creek Road.
You can find more information on the Valley County Sheriff's Office Facebook Page.
South Fork Road remains closed due to construction unrelated to the Snag Fire.
