As of 6 a.m. (PDT) July 8, Doug Turman’s Type 1 Northern Rockies National Incident Management Team 2 assumed command of the Dixie and Jumbo Fires. The team is developing an aggressive suppression strategy, factoring the large national competition for incident resources, current environmental conditions, topography and predicted weather patterns in the coming days.
Dixie Fire
Firefighting resources are still actively engaged in suppression operations on the Dixie Fire, located 40 miles southeast of Grangeville and 15 miles south of Elk City, near the community of Dixie. The fire was last estimated to be a little over 11,000 acres. The fire has continued to burn actively and spread in all directions, but especially to the south, yet firefighters are still holding the western line at Forest Service Road 222. Fire managers are anticipating that movement and growth will continue today, perhaps especially east and southeast. Today, aviation and ground resources are continuing structure protection work and improving the roads and fuel breaks near the communities of Dixie, Comstock, Mallard Creek, and several private inholdings on the Main Salmon River. The fire has the potential to move in any direction due to the variable winds and the continuous dry fuels.
Jumbo Fire
The Jumbo Fire is located west of the Dixie Fire and is currently 1,387 acres. The fire is spotting to the East. The team is actively monitoring the fire activity while seeking resources and personnel, including firefighters who will be focused on structure protection and fuel mitigation in Hump Town.
Weather and Additional Fire Activity
Another round of thunderstorms swept over the region on July 7, igniting numerous new wildfires and adding to an already complex combination of severe fire conditions. Hot, dry, windy conditions will continue, peaking on Sunday—which is anticipated to be a critical fire behavior day.
The Northern Rockies Region (the location of this fire and several others) are at a Preparedness Level 4, meaning resources are scarce. At least 34 new fires were detected in Idaho alone yesterday.
Evacuations and Closures
On July 6, the Idaho County Sheriff’s Office issued evacuation orders for the Dixie and Comstock area. For evacuation information and updates, please continue to follow the Idaho County Sheriff’s Office on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Idaho-County-Sheriffs-Office-178393728844032 or call 208-983-1100.
Closures
An area closure for the Dixie Fire area is now in effect. A copy of the official closure order is available online athttps://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/nezperceclearwater/alerts-notices under “Public Notices.”