SANDPOINT — The good news keeps coming on the Sunset Fire, with containment continuing to increase on the 3,230-acre wildfire in southern Bonner County.

"it's kind of been going to be a little bit of rinse and repeat from yesterday, but crews are still diligently mopping up," said Paul Diaz, an operations section chief for Northern Rockies Team 5.

The fire, first reported Aug. 13, has 605 personnel assigned to the fire, and is now 52% contained. Containment of a fire means that there are secure firelines around the perimeter, directly next to the edge where the fire burned, fire officials said.

As the crews progress around the entire fire perimeter with “mop-up” and extinguish all residual heat interior to the fire edge, containment of the fire will continue to increase, Northern Rockies officials said.

Few sources of heat remain adjacent to the perimeter, Northern Rockies officials said. However, interior pockets of unburned fuel will continue to burn, smolder, and consume forest fuels.

Crews have begun pulling pumps, hose and sprinklers from areas where they are no longer needed, Diaz said.

"The reason that that's happening is because they feel that everything is really secure there," the section chief said, adding that crews will continue to patrol and monitor the fire in those areas.

On the fire's northernmost flank, a Hotshot crews will continue to mop-up in areas of residual heat. In addition, helicopters will backhaul firefighting gear and equipment using “sling loads” attached to the bottom of the helicopter with a lead line and swivel, Northern Rockies officials said.

"Every day we're adding a little more containment in those areas," Diaz said.

Burning restrictions remain in place in the Selkirk Fire District with all open burning prohibited, including campfires, outdoor burning of yard waste, use of open flame devices and charcoal fires. The order includes areas affected by the Sunset Fire — effectively those east of U.S. 95.

Established checkpoints in southern Bonner County will continue to be manned to prevent non-residents from entering the formerly evacuated areas.

Area closures are in effect on the Idaho Panhandle National Forests. The area closure encompasses all National Forest Service lands along the western shoreline of Lake Pend Oreille, from Camp Bay south to 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 then follows a stepped northeast path to Hickman Creek continuing east to the Forest Boundary and then heads north to Sagle Road. From Sagle Road, the boundary extends east back to Camp Bay.

The Lightning Creek Fire, which was started by a lightning strike July 30, is 25% contained and has burned 2,525 acres.

Located nine miles north of Clark Fork, fire activity is minimal, with creeping and smoldering on its northern and southern flanks. Firefighting efforts are being led by Incident Commander Kelly Tucker of the Sandpoint Ranger District, which assumed control of the fire Aug. 18.

A temporary flight restriction is in place over the Sunset Fire, prohibiting all drones and aircraft from operating in the area 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/3HR16gm; Bonner County Sheriff's Office, bonnerso.org