Rain has little impact on area fires

BONNERS FERRY — The good news? A little bit of rain fell in the region Thursday night.

The bad news? That rain had a different impact depending on the elevation of where it fell on the Kootenai River Complex fires, U.S. Forest Service officials said Friday.

"Parts of the fire with heavier tree cover prevented a lot of moisture from reaching the ground, while the areas with more open ground and lower in the valleys received more moisture," officials said in the press release.

Air resources were unable to fly recon routes Thursday due to the weather but will resume as conditions improve, officials said.

The fire, which is burning 7 miles northwest of Bonners Ferry, is being fought by 236 personnel. Since being sparked by lightning in mid-July, the fire has burned an estimated 21,501 acres.

That cool and humid weather system resulted in the .10 of an inch of rain that fell the area. However, it's also led to smoke and fog settling down along roadways below the fire, impairing visibility for vehicles driving both during the day and at night, officials said.

With firefighter crews and emergency response vehicles staged along Westside Road, Forest Service officials recommended those driving in the area slow down, turn on their headlights, and move over for emergency vehicles. 

Elsewhere on the complex, cleanup of hazard trees and flush cutting of snags and stumps is ongoing along Westside Road. Firefighters continue to strengthen and monitor dozer and handlines during the day while crews patrol and monitor the lines at night.

Diamond Watch Fire

Since started by a lightning strike in mid-July, the Diamond Watch fire, has burned 1,177 acres. Located 5.5 miles due west of Nordman, the fire is listed at 55% containment with 15 fire personnel assigned to the fire.

Increased fire activity over the last few days on the eastern perimeter was due to duff and small timber litter debris burning as the fire gets closer to the containment line along Forest Service Road 657, Forest Service officials said.

"Once the fire reaches FSR 657, firefighters will be able to access the fire’s edge and start taking suppression action on that part of the fire," they said in a press release.

Forest Service officials said the southern containment line along FSR 308 is holding and the fire is cool where it has reached the road.

The fire continues to burn toward FSR 308 and FSR 311, which will eventually tie together on the western containment line. On the northern perimeter, officials said the fire is slowly backing down the ridge toward Diamond Creek, which is expected to act as a natural barrier.

"Firefighters will continue to take suppression action as the fire’s edge becomes more accessible and allows for safe and efficient firefighting tactics," they said.

Boulder Mountain Fire

Fire crews are searching for small fires and hot spots along the perimeter of the Boulder Mountain Fire, located east of Little Pend Oreille Wildlife Refuge in northeastern Washington state.

"In order to fully suppress a fire, all hot spots near the fire perimeter are located and extinguished by turning the soil as you would a campfire to put it out," officials said. "Firefighters are gridding the perimeter which is conducive to fully mitigating the possibility of re-ignition." 

Fire crews are working to clear trees and brush from roadways, with the the excess material being chipped.

"This chipping continues to be utilized as a benefit to remove debris left over from mitigation activities and will be used to prevent erosion and other resource benefits," officials said.

The fire, which has burned 2,310 acres is listed as 78% contained. A total of 344 personnel are assigned to the fire, which is impacting a mix of state, federal and private lands.

Columbus and Bear Gulch Fires

The Columbus Fire, started by a lightning strike in August, is straddling the Idaho/Montana corner near the Columbus Creek drainage.

"The Columbus Fire is in steep, rugged terrain, making access difficult," officials said in a press release.

Heavy equipment, including an excavator, dozer, and masticator, are working on Forest Service roads 152 and 2222 on the Montana side.

"This work will not only improve access for engines and equipment, but it also increases the defensibility of these road systems if need arises to use them as fireline," officials said.

Officials said the fire is being managed under a "confine, contain, and monitor strategy" with point protection where needed.

Located 6 miles northeast of Murray, the fire has burned 1,806 acres and is 0% contained.

Located 6 miles east of Murray, the Bear Gulch Fire has burned 144 acres since being sparked by lightning in mid-August. The fire is within a mile of the Idaho/Montana border with terrain similar to the nearby Columbus Fire.

Thor Fire

The Thor Fire — along with the Slate, Salmo and Gypsy Ridge fires — is burning in an area where the fire activity does not pose a threat to any “values at risk,” including wildlife habitats, watershed areas, natural resources, recreation infrastructure, or private land.

The largest of the fires, the Thor Fire, has burned 1,300 acres; the Slate Fire, 620; Salmo, 320; and Gypsy Ridge, 17.

A Type 3 Incident Management Team is managing four fires in the same general area.

Closure, evacuations and information

• On the Kootenai River Complex, the following Forest Service trails and roads are closed: Ball Creek Road (FR 432), Trout Creek Road (FR 634), Russell Mountain (No. 12), Russell Ridge (No. 92), Ball and Pyramid Lakes (No. 43), Pyramid Pass (No. 13), Pyramid Peak (No. 7), Fisher Peak (No. 27), Trout Lake (No. 41), McGinty Ridge (No. 143), Clifty Mountain and Clifty/Burrow (No. 182), Myrtle Peak Trail (No. 286), and Burton Peak Trail (No. 9). Westside Road is limited to residents only.

• On the Diamond Watch Fire, closure orders are in effect for Forest Service roads 311, 308, and 1362H in the vicinity of the fire. However, FSR 1362 remains open. Petit Lake and is associated campsites are within the closure area.

Some camping areas along the southwest portion of Sullivan Creek Road have been notified that they are on a “set” be ready evacuation status and should be ready to leave if asked by local authorities.

• On the Thor Fire, roads connecting to the Idaho Panhandle National Forest are closed starting at the junction of FSR 302 and FSR 1013.

• On the Coeur d'Alene Ranger District, closures include Trail 148 along Casper Creek, Trail 7 from the intersection with Trail 774 to Thompson Pass, Trail 1107 near the state line, Trail 763 near the state line, Forest Service Road 938, FSR 430 and FSR 604CZ.

• All methods of travel are prohibited (foot, mechanized, motorized and stock) on the closed roads and area.

• A temporary flight restriction is in place on the Katka Fire as well as on Scotch Creek, Russell Mountain, Eneas Peak and Trout fires. As a reminder, civilian drones are not allowed around active fires. Flying drones near an emergency scene is against the law and forces fire crews to ground their flights.

• A fire watch is in effect Tuesday through Wednesday evenings, with dry and unstable weather conditions predicted. In addition, gusty winds and dry conditions are predicted for Wednesday.

• Current evacuation status information in Boundary County is available in a recorded message on the Boundary County Emergency Information Line at 208-696-BOCO (2626)

Information: InciWeb.nwcg.gov