BOISE, Idaho — Warm Lake Highway has closed due to the Snag Fire, the Valley County Sheriff's Office reported.
The highway is closed at the Horsethief Road intersection, east towards Warm Lake, and also closed from the Johnson Creek Road intersection west towards Warm Lake. Scott Valley residents will be allowed road access.
Valley County Sheriff's Office said that anyone planning to exit via the Warm Lake Highway will need to use an alternate evacuation route, if leaving the area is necessary.
The Snag Fire is now roughly 500 feet of Warm Lake Highway, as of Monday, August 12.
Further Level 1 "Ready" evacuation notices were issued on Thursday, August 8, around 3:00 p.m., in response to the Snag Fire burning near Cascade.
The Valley County Sheriff's Office announced people in the Horsethief area, the YMCA Camp, and areas in the Scott Valley should prepare to evacuate as the Snag fire continues to grow. The Warm Lake Highway remains closed to all inbound traffic.
"With this additional area being placed to a ready evacuation status, the checkpoint along Warm Lake Highway will be moved to the Horsethief turnoff. All residents of Scott Valley will be granted access," the sheriff's office stated.
Earlier on Thursday, the Boise National Forest announced a series of closures due to the Snag and Dollar Fires.
The Dollar Fire had burned 1,666 acres, while the Snag Fire had burned 19,563 acres. Both are 0% contained as of Thursday, August 15.
The closure includes Forest Service land between the northern Forest boundary and the NFS Road 409, about 20 miles south, said Boise National Forest. Closure starts at the intersection of the Forest boundary and NFS Road 474 until it's connection with Warm Lake Highway. The Valley County Sheriff's Office is updating their Facebook page with more information.
On Wednesday, the Valley County Sheriff's Office announced at 5:43 p.m. an evacuation notice was issued as a precaution due to increased fire activity from the Snag Fire which is burning eight miles east of Cascade in Valley County. The Warm Lake Highway on the east side of Scott Valley is also closed.
"The ready order is being released today so residents can have adequate time to pre-plan," the sheriff's office said in a news release on Wednesday.
"The ready order is being released today so residents can have adequate time to pre-plan," the sheriff's office said in a news release on Wednesday.
Authorities said on Wednesday, westbound traffic on the Warm Lake highway towards Cascade remains open as of Wednesday. However, residents not currently in the Warm Lake area will be allowed one-time access to grab any pets and belongings.
"Anyone who remains in the area should be prepared for a full closure of the Warm Lake Highway and have enough fuel to exit the area via the Deadwood area or Lick Creek Road. As a reminder, the South Fork Road remains closed due to construction unrelated to the Snag Fire," the sheriff's office said.
Residents in the area are urged to sign up for CODE Red emergency alerts, as the sheriff's office will send an alert to those impacted by the evacuation order.