COEUR d’ALENE — The Double Tree fire in Mica Bay was caused by a homeowner lighting a fire pit with paper, authorities said Wednesday.

“We have confirmation from the homeowner that they started the fire,” said Shane O’Shea, assistant fire warden for Idaho Department of lands. “They admitted that they were starting a fire in an above ground fire pit using paper. The wind picked up the paper and that is what started the fire.”

O’Shea said he will be investigating the fire to determine if there was negligent behavior.

“We have to prove negligence before the responsible party is liable for the cost of the fire,” he said, adding he did not want to speculate whether that was the case with this fire.

The fire grew to more than 18 acres Tuesday before firefighters got it contained at about 9 p.m. Crews stayed on the fire over night and were on the scene mopping up hot spots on Wednesday.

“With a cold front coming in we want to get things mopped up before the winds come in,” he said. “This was a big fire for us, with homes every five acres, and we didn’t lose one of them or have any injuries.

“It was a win all the way around.”

O’Shea said the Park View fire near Q’Emiln Park has not been declared out yet, but O’Shea said that it should be within the next couple of days.

He said the fire was human caused, and investigators have narrowed it down to three potential causes.

“We have found what we believe to be the point of origin, and we have collected some evidence,” he said, adding they have no suspects at this point. “There was no real smoking gun at the point of origin.”

O’Shea said crews will continue to monitor both fire until they are completely out.

An open burn ban remains in effect in Kootenai County. The only open burning allowed under the ban are recreational fires, such as cooking fires and camp fires.

People starting those recreational fires should have a shovel and bucket nearby just in case the fire gets away from them, and all fires should be put out completely before they are left unattended.