A new firefighting team will be rotating in to battle the Rail Ridge Fire this week.

The fire, burning just south of Dayville, has now consumed nearly 175,000 acres and is 89% contained.

After a two-week tour of duty on the Rail Ridge Fire, Northwest Incident Command Team 8 will be handing over command of the firefighting effort to Northwest Incident Command Team 2 over the next couple of days. Team 2 personnel will arrive Monday and will take command of the fire Tuesday evening.

On Sunday, some areas of the fire near Cougar Ridge were putting up significant smoke in the late afternoon, but there was minimal growth.

On the northwest corner of the fire, firefighters finished handline that connects the north side of the Black Canyon Wilderness to the Cougar Ridge edge of the fire perimeter.

Heavy equipment and crews continue to construct containment line along Forest Service Road 3850 on the northwest corner of the fire. Containment line through the BLM and private property is complete and firefighters are prepping the cabins with sprinkler kits and putting in hose lays.

Fire personnel continued to patrol the contained perimeter of the fire, searching for hot spots or any increase in fire behavior. Resources were engaged on Forest Service Roads 24 and 2150 to clear these roads of hazards.

On Monday, expect to see increased smoke and fire behavior in the northwest corner of the fire as the drying trend over the fire area continues. Crews will continue with the same work from Sunday to create containment line around the active fire area around Cougar Ridge.

The team’s meteorologist and fire behavior analyst are monitoring any change in weather, as there is currently a 70% chance of rain midway through the week. This is likely to push cold air in front of it that would result in increased winds on the fire, increasing fire activity.

Air operations have three Type 1 helicopters and are using air attack to respond to the fire as needed. Fire crews are continuing mop-up and removal of hazards from across the fire footprint.

The fire team and local agencies continue to work with local landowners, businesses and affiliates who need access within the fire area closures. Due to the multitude of hazards within the fire area, these requests are being prioritized and official escorts are being provided as safety and availability of escorts are feasible.

High pressure will be overhead through Tuesday and dry conditions are expected through this period with relative humidity percentages dropping into the upper teens to low 20s. Winds will be light and mostly terrain-driven through Tuesday with gusts of 10 to 15 mph during the peak heating hours of the afternoon. The weather pattern will make a major change on Wednesday, with much cooler conditions and possibly some rainfall and gusty winds.

Forest visitors near the Rail Ridge Fire should be aware that Forest Service and BLM closures as well as fire restrictions around the fire remain in place.

For the latest information on evacuation notices, public land closures and fire restrictions, see https://linktr.ee/RailRidgeFire.

Rail Ridge Fire at a Glance

Acres: 174,936

Containment: 89%

Detection: 09/02/24

Cause: Lightning

Personnel: 602