SANDPOINT — There was a small measure of good news for crews battling a pair of large wildfires in Bonner County.

Rainy, cool weather slowed fire growth and allowed crews to make strides on both the Sunset Fire in southern Bonner County and the Lightning Creek Fire across Lake Pend Oreille in the southeastern part of the county, about 9 miles north of Clark Fork.

“The damp weather and the rain helped us today, so we really didn’t see that growth because the weather was favorable,” said Mary Fritz, public information officer for the Sunset Fire.

However, Fritz said the reprieve is expected to be short-lived, with hot weather expected to return soon — bringing with it the potential for increased fire behavior.

“Even though it rained Saturday, it was nothing to hold us off. It gave us today, maybe a little bit of tomorrow to work on, but the forest fuels are very dry,” Fritz said. “If you’re out walking around in the forest and you step on a twig, it’s so dry that it’s brittle and it snaps.”

Crews spent Saturday in the Talache Road and Butler Creek areas, working to build fire lines and assess threats to structures.

While progress was made on the fire’s southern flanks — with a dozer line completed and hose laid to supply water for mop-up operations — Fritz said firefighters are facing challenges on the fire’s northern edge.

“There’s work to do there, quite a bit of work,” she said.

Since being reported Wednesday evening, the fast-moving fire has grown rapidly, expanding from a half-acre to more than 50 acres shortly after it was reported. Within several hours, it had reached nearly 700 acres. To date, the fire has burned about 2,080 acres and forced the evacuation of roughly 250 homes in southern Bonner County, from Sunset Road north to Maiden Rock and inland from the east shore of Lake Pend Oreille.

Three structures have been lost to the fire. While officials had no details on the structures, a GoFundMe account was established for Walter and Linda Anderson of Sunset Road, reporting that their home was lost in the fire.

Firefighters have been working to set up sprinkler systems and other structure protection measures. Crews are also assessing structures at risk and developing plans to protect them — efforts that will continue under the direction of Montana’s Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 5, which is taking command of the fire Sunday.

Dozer lines have been completed along the southern flanks, with hose lays in place to supply water for mop-up operations. Crews will continue to improve and strengthen these containment lines, Fritz said.

On the western and northern flanks, hotshot crews are working to establish fire lines in steep terrain. Aerial resources are assisting all firefighting efforts, including water and retardant drops to support crews on the ground. Structure protection teams are actively assessing properties along Talache Road and Butler Creek, implementing point protection measures where needed. From the lakeshore, watercraft are being used to supply water to cool active flames.

There are 380 personnel assigned to the fire, with additional resources including helicopters, air tankers, air attack planes and scoopers.

The fire is actively burning in heavy timber and steep terrain, making footing treacherous for ground crews given current weather conditions, Fritz said.

As of Saturday evening, the fire was at 0% containment.

Near Clark Fork, the Northern Rockies Type 3 Incident Management Team is preparing to hand the Lightning Creek Fire back to the Idaho Panhandle National Forest after reaching 21% containment. IPNF crews are expected to retake command of the 2,515-acre fire on Monday, Aug. 18.

Fire activity on the Lightning Creek Fire is minimal, with fire creeping and smoldering in isolated areas.

“While the fire size has increased slightly, yesterday’s fire activity remains minimal,” said Kory Johnson, fire information officer for the Lightning Creek Fire. “Saturday’s wet weather will further reduce fire activity.”

Work to improve Lightning Creek Road as a control line continues and crews are working to prevent fire spread toward communities by removing hazardous fuels and chipping brush — a process that is nearly complete.

Johnson said firefighters are also clearing ditches of debris caused by the fire, which is burning through heavy dead and downed fuels, including fallen trees, branches and dense underbrush left from the 2018 Cougar Fire.

There are 120 personnel assigned to the fire, including three engines, a water tender, seven excavators, a feller buncher, two chippers and a hand crew.

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

A temporary flight restriction is in place for both the Sunset and Lightning Creek fires, prohibiting all drones and aircraft from operating in those areas without permission. Unauthorized aircraft pose a serious hazard to aviation personnel, forcing the grounding of aircraft and potentially delaying fire suppression efforts.

Both Fritz and Brandon Vaccaro, public information officer for Selkirk Fire, directed residents wishing to help to a Rotary Club donation drive aimed at supporting local firefighters. Donations can be dropped off at Northwest Auto Body in Sandpoint (1305 Michigan St.) and Ponderay (1202 Triangle Drive) between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Requested items include baby wipes, bottled water, Gatorade (bottled or powdered), tube socks, eye drops, ChapStick, candy (such as M&Ms) and pre-packed, shelf-stable treats.

Rotarians will collect items from the shops Wednesday at 5 p.m. If there is still a need after Wednesday, Rotary and Northwest Auto Body will continue to accept items and will alert the public.

Information: Lightning Creek Fire, bit.ly/4l5NhIB; Sunset Fire, bit.ly/47zQEEt

    Firefighters are pictured working on a fireline at the Lightning Creek Fire in southeastern Bonner County.