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Burn pile sparks brush, barn fires

KEITH KINNAIRD | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 years, 1 month AGO
by KEITH KINNAIRD
News Editor | April 11, 2020 1:00 AM

COLBURN — A yard waste fire sparked a brushfire which spread to a barn on Friday afternoon.

There were no injuries, although the small barn, its contents and a vintage Sunbeam Alpine series convertible that was parked next to the barn were destroyed by the fire.

Firefighters from the Northside Fire District, Selkirk Fire Rescue & EMS and the Idaho Department of Lands, in addition to Bonner County EMS medics, were summoned 2400 block of Hickey Road shortly after noon.

The fire scorched approximately a quarter acre of brush, according to Northside Fire officials.

A damage estimate was not available on Friday.

The Panhandle region is currently under voluntary burn restrictions, according to the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality.

“We’re trying to encourage people not to burn,” Northside Fire Chief Brad Mitton said.

The voluntary restrictions were put in place to reduce the strain on first responders and other emergency services, some of which are operating at a reduced capacity and with limited resources.

Unnecessary burning can trigger upper respiratory conditions in residents.

Those conditions could also be confused with coronavirus, which causes COVID-19.

“We’re telling people to be especially cognizant of their neighbors,” Northside firefighter Zach Pohl said.

The Idaho Department of Lands and Idaho Health & Welfare are recommending alternatives to open burning such as lawn mulching, composting and use of solid waste collection sites.

Keith Kinnaird can be reached by email at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow him on Twitter @KeithDailyBee.

photo

(Photo by KEITH KINNAIRD) A Selkirk Fire Rescue & EMS firefighter douses a barn that caught fire on Friday.

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