COEUR d'ALENE - Fire officials have imposed Stage 1 fire restrictions in three of the 11 fire restriction areas in Idaho, and while open burning is still restricted in Kootenai County, campfires are still allowed - for now.

"There was recently a call to discuss Stage 1 restrictions as far up as Latah County, but not in the Panhandle area yet," said Jason Kirchner, public affairs officer for the Panhandle National Forest. "We have had some pretty good rains lately and that has helped."

The U.S. Forest Service said fire danger is currently at the moderate level in the Panhandle, but Stage 1 restrictions will go into effect in the South Central, Treasure Valley and West Central Mountain fire restriction areas this week.

Stage 1 fire restrictions ban:

* Building or using a fire, campfire or stove fire except within a designated recreation site, and only within a fire structure provided by the administrative agency;

* Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least 3 feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials.

Propane fires are still allowed.

Two man-made fires occurred in Kootenai County last month. The Park View Fire near Q'Emiln Park in Post Falls burned more than 10 acres and has now been declared out.

Fire investigators are still following up on evidence they found at the scene, but the investigation is somewhat stalled said Shane O'Shea, assistant fire warden for the Idaho Department of Lands.

"There is a lack of eyewitnesses," he said. "But we are still following up on some leads."

He said the Double Tree Fire in the Mica Bay area is 100 percent contained, but still on patrol status.

"The recent rains gave us an advantage on that one, but the fire was contained extremely well before the rain hit," he added.

Fire crews will continue to patrol that area until all of the hot spots are mopped up. They have some stump holes that are still smoldering as well, O'Shea said.

The investigation on that fire has been completed. The cause was a landowner who had started a fire in his fire pit with paper and a piece of that burning paper blew into the woods.

The landowner could be fined for the cost to extinguish the 18-acre fire if the agency can prove the fire was the result of negligence.

O'Shea could not comment on whether negligence was a factor in that fire.

Meanwhile in Kootenai County an open burning ban is still in effect. That order was issued by the Kootenai County Fire Chiefs Association last week.

The order bans all open burning of debris and yard waste, but still allows recreational fires such as campfires and cooking fires.