SANDPOINT —  A wildfire in southern Bonner County has destroyed several structures and forced dozens of residents to be evacuated, according to the Idaho Department of Lands.

In an update just after 8 p.m., IDL officials said three structures were lost to the quickly moving wildfire, estimated to be more than 675 acres. In addition, the moving wildfire northeast of Athol forced the evacuation of residents on Sunset and Little Blacktail roads in southern Bonner County and caused many others to be placed on notice of possible evacuation. 

The Kootenai County Sheriff's Office put Bayview into "Ready" status for evacuation in case winds shift the fire.

"Winds are making suppression efforts a challenge for firefighters, as well as unpredictable fire behavior and visibility due to the smoke," a press release said.

The fire grew quickly after being reported at about 3:30 p.m. It prompted the Bonner County Sheriff's Office to place residents from 2268 Sunset Road and to the northeast on "Go" status, as were all residents on Little Blacktail Road.

Side streets along Little Blacktail and Crosswhite roads were placed on "Ready" status, the first of three stages under the Ready-Set-Go evacuation protocol. Under "Ready" status, residents are advised to have a plan to evacuate if necessary. Under "Set" status, residents are advised to begin putting their plan into place. Under "Go" status, residents are told to leave immediately due to an imminent threat.

According to social media posts, several residents evacuated to Sagle Elementary School. A number of residents offered assistance and horse trailers to help haul animals to safety.

The Idaho Department of Lands is being assisted by multiple agencies. Resources include helicopters, fire engines, a tanker and Panhandle Hot Shot crews.

Near Clark Fork, firefighters kept the Lightning Creek Fire under control with 165 personnel now assigned to the fire, 9 miles north of the city.

"The primary goals remain to prevent the fire's advance toward communities and to ensure the safety of the public and firefighters," said Kory Johnson, U.S. Forest Service fire information officer, in a Wednesday press release.

A drone flown over the fire showed the fire had increased slightly to 2,482 acres.

Heavy equipment operators spent Tuesday moving logs and branches away from the fire's edge, feeding the brush, branches and small trees into mechanical chippers to process them into smaller chips — reducing the volume of flammable materials, Forest Service officials said.

A dry cold front moving through the area was expected to bring westerly winds with gusts of up to 28 mph through Wednesday evening.

"Together, these tactics reduce potential fire intensity and spread," Johnson said. "Additionally, removing the thinned brush, branches and small trees from the roadside and ditches helps maintain the ability of Lightning Creek Road to drain and manage water and reduce potential erosion, ultimately supporting road stability and continued access."

Where it is safe, Johnson said firefighters continue to identify and extinguish hot spots along the fire edge.

The fire is burning through heavy dead and down fuels left from the 2018 Cougar Fire, Forest Service officials said.

"These fuels include large fallen trees, branches, and dense underbrush that have accumulated over the years, creating a thick layer of dry, combustible material on the forest floor," officials said on InciWeb, an interagency incident information management site. "Unlike live fuels, which can absorb moisture from rain and slow down fire spread, these dead fuels remain highly reactive even after precipitation."

An area closure order is in place for the area surrounding the fire. Lightning Creek Road (NFSR 419) is closed from the junction of Trestle Creek Road (NFSR 275) south to the Regal Creek crossing. The closure is necessary to protect public safety and welfare and provide safe firefighting efforts and access.

A temporary flight restriction is in place, restricting all drones and aircraft from operating in the fire area without permission. Unauthorized aircraft pose a serious hazard to aviation personnel, forcing the grounding of aircraft and potentially delaying fire suppression efforts.

Information: Lightning Creek Fire, bit.ly/4l5NhIB; Sunset Fire, bit.ly/45EwwP9