Fire Danger Continues Out West

Wild fires continue to burn late in the season in Wyoming, including the Elk Fire and the Pack Fire as weather conditions haven't really felt like fall the last 2 months. The Pack Fire has likely become a complex fire now that it has joined acreage with a fire that was previously burning to the north. Together, these fires have burned over 140k acres.

The Elk fire is burning in the Big Horn National Forest. Weather should moderate to help fire crews over the next few days get better containment, but both of these fires are burning in heavy timber. Smoke and air quality is an ongoing concern.

BOISE, ID—The Valley Fire, a new fire east of Boise, Idaho, started on Friday, October 4th. It is located along Highway 21 near Highland Valley Summit (SE of Boise). The NWS encourages citizens to avoid the area while crews work on containment.

Air Quality Alerts remain in effect in close proximity to burning fires, due to lofted wildfire smoke. This smoke is expected to get caught in the jet stream and occasionally push into places like Denver and Rapid City.

Meanwhile, fires continue to burn across Southern California. The Line Fire, which has had trouble containing, continues to burn. The good news is that it is up to 93% containment, with cooler air coming in.

For more details on the heat and fire threat this week, catch your Regional Forecasts at :30 and :50 past every hour!