SANDPOINT — The Cougar Fire burning near Hope grew to 700 acres as of Monday, with activity expected to increase over the next week due to hotter, drier weather in the forecast.

“The suppression activities are focused on improving a fuel break around the fire area using trails, roads and natural barriers to create defensible firelines,” U.S. Forest Service officials said in a statement on Monday.

The southwest area of the fire showed some fire activity on Sunday, although it was limited to creeping in dry fuels and individual tree torching, according to the statement. The fire is slowly backing down slope on the southeastern boundary toward Porcupine Creek.

Work continued Monday along the Porcupine ATV trail as crews used dozers and masticators to cut out brush and understory along the trail. Large trees are maintained creating a “shaded” fuel break, the statement said. Similar work is being done along Wellington Creek to create a fuel break. The hand crew is working to supplement and enforce the mechanical equipment with the fuels reduction activity.

Fire managers accomplished two aerial missions on Sunday, according to the statement. One was to install a radio repeater on Lightning Mountain for fire communication, and the second to survey the fire activity and assess future needs. Anyone planning to access Lightning Creek is urged to be aware of increased fire traffic and continued road construction on the road.

Several trails and roads in the Cougar Fire area were closed Monday for the protection of public health and safety due to the wildfire activity, as well as the presence of crews and equipment working on fire suppression, officials said in an additional statement on Monday. As additional growth of the fire is anticipated, the following roads and trails will be closed until safety concerns are fully addressed:

- Trail No. 120 Beetop-Roundtop, west of Trail No. 63 Beetop Ridge and east of Trail No. 444 Strong Creek

- Trail No. 63 Beetop Ridge

- Trail No. 114 Porcupine Creek

- Trail No. 642 Porcupine Lake

- Trail No. 2240 Auxor Mine

- Road No. 489 Auxor

- Road No. 444 Strong Creek

- Road No. 419 Lightning Creek, north of Road No. 1184 East Fork and south of Road No. 473 Rattle Creek

Other fires burning in North Idaho include the Alpine Fire and the Smith Creek Fire.

The Alpine Fire, located 11 miles north of Sandpoint, has increased to 103 acres and was at 10 percent containment on Monday, according to an Idaho Department of Lands report on Inciweb.

The Alpine Fire was reported on July 28 and is burning on industrial forestland and state owned lands. It was caused by lightning and is burning in subalpine fir. Fire managers are actively suppressing this fire with ground and air resources to protect timber assets and to prevent the fire’s spread. The fire is burning on industrial timberland and state lands in the upper Caribou Creek drainage. An Idaho interagency Type 3 incident management team is managing the fire. A Canadian crew of eight firefighters from Alberta is assisting in suppression efforts.

The Smith Creek Fire, last updated on Inciweb on Friday, was at 370 acres with no containment. The fire is located 19 miles west of Bonners Ferry, and seven miles northeast of Priest Lake. The Smith Creek fire was also caused by lightning on July 28, according to Inciweb.

In a joint statement, several local land agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service, Idaho Department of Lands, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, among others, announced Monday that Stage 1 fire restrictions have been implemented across North Idaho.

The restriction area includes all tribal, state, federal, and private forestland and rangeland in Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Kootenai, Shoshone, and Latah counties. This also includes public lands in Washington and Montana that are administered by the Idaho Panhandle National Forests. These restrictions are being implemented by agencies managing or providing wildland fire protection in the area.

Under the Stage 1 fire restrictions, the following acts are prohibited on tribal, state and federally managed or protected lands, roads, and trails:

- Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire, campfire or stove fire except within a designated recreation site in a permanent concrete or metal fire ring, or on their own land, and only within an owner-provided structure.

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

With the extreme temperatures in the region, fire managers are asking the public to be extra cautious when spending time in the outdoors, according to the statement. They also remind the public that fireworks are prohibited on state and private forestland and rangeland, and on public lands, roads, and trails in Idaho during closed fire season, from May 10 through Oct. 20. Possession and/or use of fireworks is always prohibited on federal public lands.

Information: inciweb.nwcg.gov

Mary Malone can be reached by email at mmalone@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @MaryDaiyBee.