Progress on the Wolf Creek Fire enables West Mountain Complex managers to move crews and equipment to the larger Snag Fire.

The complex in the west-central Idaho mountains comprises Boulder, Snag, Wolf Creek, Dollar and Goat fires.

Boulder was 1,908 acres and 7% contained as of late morning Aug. 14, according to InciWeb. Snag was 17,118 acres with no containment. Wolf Creek was 1,154 acres and 61% contained. The 683-acre Goat and 1,580-acre Dollar fires had no containment.

Boulder crews have been seeking opportunities to conduct firing operations designed to eliminate fuel ahead of the fire’s leading edge and prevent spread, said Tim Phelps, public information officer with Great Basin Complex Incident Management Team 2.

“They’re going to keep an eye on the weather to make sure they can do it,” he said. “Meanwhile, they continue to deepen control lines,” which can reduce impacts from spot fires.

Much of the Boulder Fire is burning toward remote places with few structures, and “a lot of what’s burning is green material.” Phelps said. The fire is producing smoke but not spreading quickly.

Boulder and Wolf Creek fires are “looking good overall,” he said. “Values at risk are protected.” These fires, which started before the others, have had significant deployment of personnel and equipment.

Activity on the Wolf Creek Fire “remains slow and minimal,” according to an Aug. 14 news release from West Mountain Complex managers. Containment continues to increase as crews reinforce control lines and do mop-up work.

Resources will be moved from the Wolf Creek Fire to the Snag Fire, which on Aug. 14 was creeping in a northeasterly direction, Phelps said. Additional people and equipment will be assigned to the Snag Fire.

The Snag Fire’s northeast perimeter on Aug. 13 got to within 500 feet of Warm Lake Highway — much of which is closed — prompting a move to de-energize roadside power lines, according to the release. Managers are focusing on the fire’s northern area, particularly impacts to the highway and structures in the Horsethief and Warm Lake communities.

The Valley County Sheriff’s Office issued Level 1 (get ready) evacuation orders for Warm Lake residents and for North Shore Lodge at Warm Lake Aug. 7, and for the Horsethief area Aug. 8

The Dollar Fire is slowly creeping along a burned area to the east, and the sparsely vegetated area from last year’s East Fire has checked growth in that direction, according to the release. The fire has not grown much along the western perimeter due to natural barriers such as loose, rocky slopes.

On the Goat Fire, firefighters continue to scout for opportunities to connect built fire lines to the Snag Fire to slow its growth. By air, managers are watching the fire in the Middle Fork Payette River corridor for signs of spread.