HEISE, Idaho — The Big Rock Fire, discovered on Friday near Heise, Idaho, was driven by high winds, hot temperatures and dry fuels on Saturday afternoon, and the Jackson Hole valley was noticeably smoky on Sunday.
According to an update on Facebook by the Caribou-Targhee National Forest (CTNF), the wildfire was sparked by lightning on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land five miles east of Ririe, Idaho. The eastern boundary of the wildland fire is approximately 12.5 miles from Idaho’s Teton County line. The U.S. Wildland Fire Service (USWFS) said that the fire doubled in size on Saturday, to 2,400 acres. Fire activity slowed on Sunday, and the blaze was last measured at 2,500 acres and 0% contained on Sunday evening, per USWFS.
“An aggressive full-suppression strategy is in place for the Big Rock Fire to protect communities, recreationists, structures, infrastructure, and other valuable resources at risk, but resources are being stretched thin by the extreme fire behavior experienced this afternoon,” USWFS Idaho – Great Basin wrote in a Saturday evening update. “The fire was running, crowning and spotting long distances, pushed by gusty winds.”
Over the weekend, closures and evacuation orders were issued for the Heise area and Kelly Canyon near Kelly Canyon ski resort. Two minor structures have already been lost, and crews have constructed fire line around threatened residences. For updated evacuation orders, view the PBS Warn website.
A temporary closure of BLM-managed land, roads and campgrounds was enacted on Saturday night. The closure is set to expire on Aug. 10 and includes areas within the South Fork of the Snake River Canyon area from Conant boat ramp to Byington boat ramp. All river camping in this area is prohibited, but BLM clarified that there is no river closure. Boaters are still permitted in the South Fork Canyon and will be allowed to take out at Byington. CTNF issued a closure of trails in the area, and the Idaho Department of Lands closed endowment lands in Kelly Canyon south of Moody Creek.
After the fire exploded on Saturday evening, smoke drifted east and obscured the Tetons from view in Teton Valley and Jackson Hole. Buckrail Meteorologist Alan Smith said that most of the smoke that rolled in on Sunday was from the Big Rock Fire, mixing with smoke from other fires in Washington and Idaho. The air quality index for Jackson reached 53 on Sunday, considered moderate for small particulate matter.
“I do think we could see off-and-on smoky periods throughout the week as winds in the upper atmosphere will be blowing from the west to northwest, which will likely bring in more smoke from the Pacific Northwest wildfires,” Smith said. “Whether or not we see more smoke from the Big Rock Fire will largely depend on how active that fire is over the coming week.”
Multiple fire resources are on the scene in Heise, including overhead personnel, engines, water tenders, dozers, and air support. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, 126 personnel have been assigned to the fire. The incident involves multiple jurisdictions, including the USWFS Great Basin Unit 3 – East Idaho, the U.S. Forest Service, BLM, Idaho Department of Lands, and Jefferson and Madison counties.
