Idaho drivers, beware: Part of Banks-Lowman Highway closed for wildfire operations
Officials have announced the closure of the Banks-Lowman Highway through Thursday afternoon.
The road will close between Danskin Station and Julie Creek at noon and the closure will last several hours to allow firefighters to conduct wildfire operations, the Boise County Sheriff’s Office said on social media.
The Sheriff’s Office told the Idaho Statesman that firefighters were conducting a preventative road burn in the area and the reopening would depend on when those measures were completed.
The Wapiti Fire, which was started by a lightning strike on July 24, has grown rapidly in the Boise National Forest in recent days. It has burned 17,520 acres and was 10% contained as of Thursday afternoon, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
A 15-mile stretch of Idaho Highway 21 near Grandjean has remained closed since Tuesday. The Idaho Transportation Department closed all lanes between milepost 92 by the Warm Springs Airport to milepost 107 by Banner Creek Summit, according to the department’s website. No reopening time has been set.
The fire was continuing to move to the north along the Elk Creek drainage area, west across Idaho 21 at the Emile Grandjean Overlook and to the east, the Boise National Forest Service said in a news release Thursday.
The fire forced the closure of the Stanley Lake recreation complex and connecting trails on Tuesday.
“The Wapiti fire has been actively growing due to weather conditions,” the Boise National Forest Service said. “ ... Due to fire activity overnight, the Grandjean road and Highway 21 have been impacted by rolling debris that obstruct access to some areas. Fire managers are working with Idaho Department of Transportation to remove the debris and provide access for firefighters.”
The Idaho Transportation Department advised those planning to drive near wildfire areas to treat nonworking traffic signals as four-way stops, bring additional food and water in case of delays, turn on headlights in smoky areas and go slow while maintaining a steady speed.
This story was originally published August 22, 2024 at 12:14 PM.
