POST FALLS — A wildland fire that destroyed a pickup and a shed likely started from a rekindling of a brush-pile burn in May, firefighters said Thursday.

"Fires can smolder in piles for months," Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Capt. Kaipo Kuehu. "All it takes is the right conditions for it to take off."

Firefighters spared two homes and an old barn during the fire at 5990 E. Mullan Ave. on Wednesday next to the driving range at Highlands Golf Course.

Kuehu said the late 1990s Dodge Ram and shed with farm equipment were fully involved when crews arrived around 11 a.m. The value of the loss hasn't been determined.

Property owners Nolan and Treva Gaul arrived while crews were battling the blaze.

Kuehu said firefighters broke a lock in the driveway to access the fire and save the other structures.

"The homeowners were happy that we saved the old barn, which has sentimental value," he said.

Kuehu said that because of the trees, dry conditions and wind, the half-acre fire had the potential to cause much more damage.

"It was imperative to us to get a good knock on the fire because of homes in the Highlands," he said.

The homeowners had a permit for the burn in May, Kuehu said.

A Kootenai Couty Fire and Rescue firefighter sprained his leg during the fire.

The Idaho Department of Lands, Post Falls Police, Avista Utilities and Kootenai Electric Cooperative assisted with the efforts to fight the fire.