Sunset Fire crews battle terrain, heavy fuels

After a day's reprieve thanks to cool, rainy weather, activity on the Sunset Fire could be heading upward again with the advent of warmer weather on the horizon, according to Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 5 officials tasked with fighting the 2,780-acre fire.

Following Saturday’s rain, a drying trend is expected during the day and, while intense fire behavior is not expected Sunday, IMT officials said the continued drying of fuels will result in increased potential for fire activity. Torching is possible, and heavy fuels will continue to burn.

The Northern Rockies Complex team, led by Joe Sampson, took command of the fire Sunday morning.

There are now 340 personnel assigned to the fire burning on the western slope of Lake Pend Oreille northeast of Athol in Bonner County. The fire is at 0% containment.

Dozers have completed line along the southern flank, with hose lays in place to supply water for mop-up operations to address areas of residual heat, Northern Rockies officials said in a Sunday morning news release. Crews will continue to improve and strengthen these containment lines.

On the fire’s western and northern flanks, hotshot crews will work to establish fire lines in the steep terrain along the lake, which includes heavy timber. Aerial resources are assisting all firefighting efforts, including water and retardant drops to support crews on the ground.

Structure protection teams will be assessing properties along Talache Road and Butler Creek, implementing protection measures where needed. From the lakeshore, watercraft are being used to supply water to cool active flames.

An estimated 250 homes have been evacuated in areas affected by the fire, from Sunset Road north to Maiden Rock and inland from the east shore of Lake Pend Oreille. Three structures have been destroyed, including at least one home on Sunset Road in the Careywood area.

Evacuation orders remain in effect in southern Bonner County. Residents placed on “GO” status — meaning leave immediately — include those living east of East Dufort Road; on Talache Road, including all side streets; Raven Road; Crosswhite Road; Little Blacktail Road; and east of 2268 Sunset Road. Also included are U.S. Forest Service Road 630 off Blacktail Road (north of Blacktail), Butler Creek and Butler Creek Spur, from Mirror Lake diagonally down to USFS 630, including Five Lakes Estates, Jupline Landing, the entire Ponderosa neighborhood, and everything south of Talache Road.

“SET” notices are in effect for homes on Blacktail Road a quarter-mile north of Little Blacktail, and everything north of Talache Road in Sagle. Residents should be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice.

“READY” advisories remain for all residents on Blacktail Road north of the quarter-mile mark and for the community of Bayview in neighboring Kootenai County.

An evacuation center has been opened at Cocolalla Bible Camp to assist displaced residents. The Bonner County Fairgrounds is available to shelter evacuated livestock on a limited basis.

Area closures are in effect on the Idaho Panhandle National Forests along the western shoreline of Lake Pend Oreille, from Camp Bay to the Three Sisters Horizontal Control Station. The closure extends west to Three Sisters Creek, then proceeds north to just south of National Forest Service Road 230. It follows a stepped northeast path to Hickman Creek, continues east to the forest boundary, and then heads north to Sagle Road. From Sagle Road, the boundary extends east back to Camp Bay.

On the 2,515-acre Lightning Creek Fire, located nine miles north of Clark Fork, containment has increased to 25%. Containment reflects the portion of the fire perimeter directly adjacent to the containment line along Lightning Creek Road.

There are 109 personnel assigned to the fire, including two engines, a water tender, five heavy equipment vehicles, and a hand crew. Management will transition back to the Idaho Panhandle National Forest on Monday.

With Saturday’s rain, fire activity was minimal, giving firefighters a chance to remove hazard trees and chip brush along Lightning Creek Road, which helped prevent the fire from spreading toward communities.

“Although fire activity is minimal, the area has not yet received a season-ending weather event,” said Kory Johnson, fire information officer for the Lightning Creek Fire. “Smoke may be visible as temperatures warm again.”

Firefighters will continue to patrol the fire and cool hot spots along the fire edge as needed. Heavy equipment crews will also continue clearing ditches of debris from suppression activities.

A closure order encompassing the area around the fire has been replaced with a road closure to support safe firefighting efforts and protect the public. Visitors can access the Upper Lightning trailhead and Char Falls via Trestle Creek Road.

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 firefighting aircraft and potentially delaying suppression efforts.

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