SANDPOINT — Fire crews continue to make progress on the Green Rattle Complex as hand crews, heavy equipment and aircraft are working in combination to strengthen containment lines in the steep, rugged terrain.

The complex includes the Green Mountain and Rattle Mountain as well as the Spruce Fire, a merger of the previously separate Spruce and Spruce Ridge fires. On the complex, there are 168 personnel assigned to the fires within the complex, which is located on the Sandpoint Ranger District. A fire complex refers to two or more wildfires that have either merged or are being managed under a single incident command.

The Green Mountain Fire remains the most active on the complex, Idaho Panhandle National Forests officials said. Crews were expected to spend part of Saturday conducting a small firing operation off Green Monarch Trail 69 and the ridgeline in an effort to contain the fire's spread and enhance control lines.

With the operation, increased smoke is expected to be visible from the fire as fire managers continue to focus on firefighter safety, protecting values at risk and keeping all fires within national forest boundaries.

The fires have burned an estimated 541 acres since being sparked by lightning between Aug. 29 and Sept. 2. The fires are 0% contained.

The Green Mountain Fire has burned an estimated 69 acres, the Rattle Mountain Fire has burned 122 acres and the Spruce Fire has burned 350 acres. 

Located about eight miles west of Clark Fork, the Green Mountain Fire saw activity increase along the flanks with some growth along its east side. Crews are working to establish a hose lay from Forest Service Road 278 to the fire's edge with heavy equipment crews working to thin fuels along the road.

"Despite the uptick in activity, overall fire behavior continues to be moderate," officials said.

On the Rattle Mountain Fire, activity remains minimal with that expected to continue. Some smoldering and creeping behavior is being seen on the fire as crews work to widen and improve Forest Service Road 473 as a containment line, forest officials said.

The Spruce Fire is burning in steep, rugged terrain about 12 miles southwest of Troy, Montana. The fire, detected Sept. 1, is exhibiting backing behavior with occasional single-tree torching. 

Crews spent Saturday continuing mop-up work along Forest Service Road 4620, where parts of the fire are being contained. A wildland fire unit also is preparing handlines along a spur of the road above Cheer Creek with additional crews working on FSR 473. Continued work on handlines is expected over the next several days.

On the Ulm Creek Fire, located 16 miles north of Prichard, crews continue to hold containment of the 2,901-acre fire at 10%.

Thursday's winds had no impact on the fire's growth while wetting rains from the storm aided in suppression efforts, U.S. Forest Service officials said. A chance of additional widespread rain on Sunday could aid suppression efforts even further, they added.

"With fire behavior decreasing, resources are being reassigned to other priority fires around the region or country where needed," officials said.

Activity on the fire, sparked by lightning Aug. 30, is minimal with no growth reported on Saturday. Ongoing suppression actions are focused on finishing a buffer around Gem Peak Warming Hut and Gem Peak Lookout as well as on completing road work on several roads near the fire. 

"These actions support fire suppression and protect values at risk by creating a defensible space around structures, strengthening roads to use as containment lines, and improving firefighter access to remote areas around the fire," officials said.

    A map showing the locations of the Rattle and Spruce fires.