SANDPOINT — After weeks of hard work, containment of the Sunset Fire is nearly 100%, Idaho Department of Lands officials said Monday.

Containment of the 3,183-acre fire is at 94%, with remaining area located near the heel of the fire on its southern flank. There are 336 personnel assigned to fight the wildfire in southern Bonner County.

"Fire activity remains minimal with creeping and smoldering," said Mike McManus, incident commander of the North Idaho Type 3 Incident Management Team. "Smoke may continue to be noticeable in the interior areas around Blacktail Mountain as pockets of heavy fuels burn. These fuels do not pose any threats to containment lines."

As containment of the fire has grown, IDL officials said operations teams have combined divisions to streamline resources. It also allows management team officials to release resources for emerging incidents, including small wildfires throughout the county as a result of a storm Friday that sparked a handful of lightning strikes.

The fire is burning primarily in timber and the timber understory, including industrial timber ground through plantations and harvest units.

Backhauling continues where pumps, hoses and sprinklers are no longer needed. IMT officials said the equipment is being returned to the Interagency Cache in Coeur d'Alene to be refurbished and ready for redeployment.

As temperatures heat up in the coming week, officials said poor overnight humidity recovery is also expected. Nighttime inversions will set up each night, which will trap smoke down in the valleys, lifting in the late morning hours as the inversion dissipates, IMT officials said.

High fire danger conditions persist throughout North Idaho, causing IMT officials to urge the public to use extreme caution when recreating, hunting or burning.

"Always keep water and tools within reach and never leave a recreational fire unattended or without being fully extinguished," officials said.

If burning is conducted, officials encouraged "campfire etiquette" of drowning any campfire or debris burning with water, stirring the water into the ash, feeling it for any heat and repeating the process until it is completely cold.

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.

Checkpoints in the Bayview area, on Little Blacktail Road, and near Talache and East Dufort roads will continue to be staffed by law enforcement to restrict nonresidents from entering previously evacuated areas.

Near Clark Fork, the Lightning Creek Fire — sparked by a lightning strike on July 30 — remains at 25% containment and has burned 2,525 acres.

Fire activity is minimal, with creeping and smoldering on its northern and southern flanks. Incident Commander Kelly Tucker of the Sandpoint Ranger District assumed control of the fire Aug. 18.

A closure order surrounding the Lightning Creek Fire has been replaced with a road closure. Visitors can access the Upper Lightning trailhead and Char Falls via Trestle Creek Road.

"This closure is necessary to protect the safety and welfare of the public and provide for safe firefighting efforts and access," officials said.

Information: Lightning Creek Fire, bit.ly/4l5NhIB; Sunset Fire, bit.ly/3HR16gm; Bonner County Sheriff's Office: bonnerso.org