SANDPOINT— The terrain is challenging, but moderate temperatures have slowed the Sunset Fire's growth, federal, state and local firefighters told the large crowd gathered Monday.

Several hundred people packed North Summit's south building, spilling into the entryway and lining the walls, before the meeting was moved to the church's sanctuary to accommodate the large crowd. The move, which only took several minutes, prompted a small moment of levity when Northern Rockies Team 5 Public Information Officer Terina Hill thanked the crowd for making it look easy.

"We're used to evacuating," quipped a woman sitting near the front, prompting laughter by both the crowd and the firefighters.

More than 500 people are assigned to the fire with significant resources, including specialized hotshot firefighting crews to planes and helicopters and various engines, said Joe Sampson, Incident Commander for the Northern Rockies Team 5 assigned to manage firefighting efforts.

"There's going to be an uptick in hot, dry, windy weather and we know how that affects fire behavior, so I would classify it as we have a tiger by the tail at this point in time," Sampson said. "We're confident, but we're also conservative in our estimates of what we can achieve and how quickly we can achieve it due to the steep terrain and heavy fuels."

The fire has burned an estimated 3,208 acres along the eastern shore of Lake Pend Oreille in heavy timber and steep terrain along the shore of Lake Pend Oreille running from north of Bayview and Athol to Little Blacktail and Blacktail mountains. The fire is 0% contained and there are roughly 500 people assigned to the fire.

Structures and other values at risk remain threatened with structure protection groups and local firefighters continuing to assess areas along Talache Road and Butler Creek. Additional crews are expected to be assigned to support work in the area, officials said.

The terrain the fire is burning in is a challenging one in which to fight fires, Sampson said, noting that crews found a 15-acre spot fire ahead of the Sunset Fire. Crews were assigned to the fire and were able to control the fire.

"The fire behavior has moderated, but the ground we're operating in is steep, extremely remote, especially dropping off toward the lakeshore of Lake Pend Oreille," Sampson said. "And we're just in big timber country with a lot of fuel."

Sampson said the IMT and staff appreciate the community's support, which allows them to focus on the fire.

"This is a complex incident, not only based on the footprint of the area and the landscape that it's in," Sampson said.

Collaborators fighting the fire, from federal and state firefighters to emergency personnel and county officials, spoke to the several hundred people gathered, outlining the history of the fire, efforts being made to fight the wildfire and where they could go to get up-to-date information. Others talked about fire behavior, fire operations and the role of weather in both fire behavior and its impact on fighting the fire.

Since being reported about 3 p.m. Aug. 13, the fire has quickly grown. Within several hours, it had gone from a half-acre to more than 50 and then almost 700 acres. By the next day, the fire had more than doubled and Friday had grown by more than 1,000 acres over the course of the day.

While fire behavior has moderated in the past few days, state, federal and local fire officials said they expect that to tick upward in the coming days and warmer weather returns to the region and the forests begin to dry out again.

"That gives the illusion that it's over and it's not," Sampson said. "We're doing well with the firefighters on the groups, but we've got a lot of work to do in the coming days."

Because of the steep terrain, officials are using aerial assets, including infrared flights and helicopters, to both keep tabs on the fire but firefighters on the ground. In addition, the fire has numerous 20-member crews, hotshot firefighters and numerous engines, dozers and other heavy equipment needed to lay hose lines and push water where it can.

Hose lays along the southern flank are in place to supply water for mop-up operations to address areas of residual heat and crews will continue to improve and strengthen these containment lines, Northern Rockies officials said.

Hotshot crews and type 2 initial attack crews will work to establish firelines in the steep terrain along the west flank, while hotshot crews and equipment will work to establish firelines on the north flank near Blacktail Mountain and south of Talache, fire officials told the crowd.

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

Fire officials said crews report creeping, smoldering and torching fire behavior; however, continued drying of fuels will result in increased potential for fire activity. Torching is possible and heavy fuels will continue to burn, they said.

The fire is making some uphill runs and throwing off a few spot fires, but moderate temperatures have helped crews target those runs, said Nate Rogers, North Zone Fire Manager for the Idaho Department of Lands.

Checkpoints have been established in three areas — one in the area of Sunset and Baker roads near Bayview, another near Little Blacktail Road, and a third near E. Dufort and Talache roads — both to secure evacuated homes but to ensure only those with business in the fire area or who live there have access to the area.

The Selkirk Fire District has prohibited all open burning in the district, including campfires, outdoor burning of yard waste, use of open flame devices and charcoal fires. The order includes areas affected by the Sunset Fire and all properties under the "Ready" status — effectively those east of Highway 95.

Fire crews have not been able to use scoopers as much as they would like due to the large number of boats on the lake. Sampson said recreationists should avoid the areas near the western shore of Lake Pend Oreille — the fire's eastern flank — giving the planes the maximum amount of available area from which to pull water.

Roughly 250 homes were placed on GO status under the Ready-Set-Go evacuation protocols, meaning residents should leave immediately and head to safety. Bonner County Sheriff Daryl Wheeler said there are an estimated 800 homes in the area, including all areas included in the protocol.

Also on GO status are residents on Raven Road, Crosswhite Road, Little Blacktail Road, and east of 2268 Sunset Road. U.S. Forest Service 630 off Blacktail Road (north of Blacktail), Butler Creek and Butler Creek Spur, from Mirror Lake, diagonal down to U.S. Forest Service 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 and for the community of Bayview in neighboring Kootenai County.

Wheeler said three or four homes 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.

An evacuation center has been opened at the Cocolalla Bible Camp to assist displaced residents, adding to an initial center opened by the American Red Cross at Sagle Elementary. The Bonner County Fairgrounds is available to shelter evacuated livestock on a limited basis

While law enforcement can't force anyone to leave, Wheeler said it's a strong recommendation made to ensure the public's safety and that of the firefighters and other first responders.

"We cannot prevent you from going to your property if you want to take that risk," he told the crowd. "We've already identified and told people, if you make that choice and the fire expands into your area, we will not risk our lives for the sheriff's office to come and rescue you."

Near Clark Fork, the Idaho Panhandle National Forest resumed management of the Lightning Creek Fire, which has burned about 2,515 acres. It is 25% contained.

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

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.

Information: Lightning Creek Fire: https://bit.ly/4l5NhIB; Sunset Fire: https://bit.ly/45EwwP9; Bonner County Sheriff's Office, bonnerso.org