Weekly Fire Update
There is currently a complex fire made up of multiple fires on IDL Protection, these were fire started during a lightning storm that went through the Ponderosa Forest Protective District on July 24. (See Gwen Fire below) This is the third situation requiring an Incident Management Team (IMT).
The previous two fires requiring IMTs were the Texas Fire that was held at 1,565 acres, and the Billy Creek Fire held at 3,185 acres.The Texas Fire started July 15 and was returned to the Ponderosa Forest Protective District on Thursday, July 25. The Billy Creek Fire started July 3 and was returned to to the Craig Mountain Forest Protective District on July 17.
As of Monday, July 22, 2024, IDL has spent a total of approximately $16.9 million on fire suppression activities. Approximately $1 million of that is reimbursable to IDL for assisting other agencies on their fires, leaving a total estimated net obligation to the General Fund of $15.8 million so far this year.
Year to date there have been 179 fires on IDL Protection, covering 20,243 acres.
 As of Friday, July 26
Gwen Fire
#GwenFire grows to 20,000 acres
The Gwen Fire and River Fire are combined in one incident called the Gwen Fire.
Management: Ponderosa Forest Protective District/Nez Perce Tribe - to be transferred to Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 3 (RMCIMT 3)
Date of Origin: Wednesday July 24, 2021
The Gwen Fire is located south of Juliaetta Idaho, about 30 miles outside Lewiston near State Highway 3 in Latah County. The River Fire is located on the east end of Arrow Highline Road, west of the town of Myrtle in Latah County along the Clearwater River.
Other fires in the area:
Cherry Fire
Rock Creek
Burnt Creek Fire
Steelhead Inn Fire
Inciweb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/inciden.../idids-2024-gwen-fire
Current Situation:
The fire grew significantly overnight reaching 20,000 acres. Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 3 (RMCIMT 3) is planned to be in-briefed on the fires tomorrow evening. The Idaho Department of Lands is coordinating with partners on providing the best information possible during this evolving incident.
Incident overview:
Multiple fires spread northeast of Lewiston, Idaho after a lightning event Wednesday, July 24. Multiple structures were lost and the entire town of Juliaetta evacuated. There was an all-hands on deck wildfire response as the heat of the day/wind created active fire conditions. Resources include ground crews, engines, dozers, water scoopers, air tankers, and helicopters.
Evacuation information per Latah County Valley County Sheriff's Office:
The city of Juliaetta is still in a level 3 evacuation zone and it is not advised for residents to return. At this point, no structures in Juliaetta have been affected.
Road Closures via Idaho State Police
These closures will be in place until further notice: US12 from the US95 interchange to Milepost 39. And SH3 from the US12 interchange to milepost 10. In addition, Gifford Reubens Road is closed from US12 towards US 95.
Fire Restrictions Currently in Place
Fire Restrictions are going into place as temperatures continue to rise. The state is divided into eight Fire Restriction Areas with zones established within. Each area corresponds with the fire dispatch area boundaries. Interagency coordination between fire management agencies with the areas are used to initiate restrictions. This helps provide consistency among the land management partners, while defining the restriction boundaries so they are easily distinguishable to the public.
The purpose of fire restrictions is to reduce the risk of human-caused fires during unusually high fire danger and/or burning conditions, and when other prevention efforts have been exhausted.
The following areas are in Stage 1 fire restrictions that include all lands managed by or are under the fire protection of Idaho Department of Lands, Bureau of Land Management, the Forest Service, or other tribal or federal agencies:
Central Idaho - all zones
Cassia Zone - within the boundary of Sawtooth National Forest
North Sawtooth Zone - within the boundary of Sawtooth National Forest
Grangeville - all zones
Payette - all zones
More information on Fire Restrictions as well as FAQs regarding Stage 1 and Stage 2 restrictions may be found on IDLs Fire Restriction Finder Website.
Supporting IDL Employees
Director Miller and the IDL Fire Bureau want to make sure those employees affected by the plane crash and tragic fatality of Juliana Turchette have the support they need.
There have been multiple Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) sessions offered to those affected in both Helena and Coeur d’Alene. According to the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, “Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) is a method of helping first responders and others who have been involved in critical incidents that leave them emotionally and/or physically affected by those incidents...”
At IDL in Coeur d’Alene, a Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) recently occurred. A CISD is a specific, small group, supportive crisis-focused discussion of the traumatic event. This was coupled with Peer Support. Peer Support involves specialty-trained employees who are there to listen, provide support, and, if needed, refer to a professional level of clinical care.
There will be additional follow up opportunities provided in the coming weeks and months as well.
Supporting Juliana's Family
IDL has provided support to the family of Juliana Turchette and our contractor as well. IDL Central Zone Fire Manager Jeremiah Miller and Deputy Chief Julia Lauch traveled to Montana to provide that support and to assist as they were able. Special efforts were made to honor Juliana and to explain the traditions. This is the information provided to the family:
Honoring Juliana
When an employee dies in the line of duty, there are various services to honor the fallen. Juliana was an incredible aviator and person. She was an accomplished pilot and lost her life responding to the Horse Gulch Fire July 10th on the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest in Montana. She was living her dream job—flying a Fire Boss, a water-scooping aircraft. Ultimately, she sacrificed her life to protect firefighters.
An Honor Watch: This is when firefighters accompanied Juliana at the funeral home. Members of the firefighting and emergency response communities stayed at the funeral home 24 hours a day, so she was never alone. Traditionally, the Honor Watch stays at the funeral home until she has left.
Cordon of Honor: Juliana and her family were respected with a Cordon of Honor, a silent and stationary ceremonial lineup. Guards of Honor stood in attention on both sides of Skyway Drive in front of the Helena airport as Juliana’s family arrived from Brazil. The Guards of Honor came from state, federal, county, city, and volunteer firefighting and emergency response communities. They stood in Honor as the family passed.
Last Call: Fire firefighters communicate mission and operational information over the radio, this includes pilots. When a member of the fire community dies in the line of duty, they receive a Last Call. In this case the radio dispatcher called for Juliana on the radio. There was silence. Then the radio dispatcher acknowledged that was her Last Call to duty.
In Case You Missed It
Here's a recap of other recent IDL newsletters you may find interesting:
One Team One Voice Newsletter Archive
Did you miss some important news? Are you curious about knowing what's happening across IDL? Our One Team, One Voice webpage contains an archive of IDL's newsletters covering:
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