BONNERS FERRY — Given conditions, work to contain the Upper Smith Fire has gone better than expected, Northern Rockies Team 1 officials told Boundary County residents gathered for a community meeting to discuss progress on the fire.

When Northern Rockies crews arrived, they set three possible options. The first was a control line higher up on the hillside, a secondary fallback line and Westside Road at the valley bottom.

"So, long story short, we did use the upper line the whole way," said Scott Schrenk, Northern Rockies operations section chief. "We obviously got some spotting and whatnot but everything was contained between that secondary fallback line and our main primary handline that we put in."

While it involved some tough and long shifts, Schrenk told the roughly two dozen residents who attended the meeting that the work made all the difference when it came to the Aug. 1 windstorm that hit the region.

Since the Upper Smith Fire was reported July 8, the lightning-sparked fire has burned roughly 2,305 acres. The fire, located 20 miles northwest of Bonners Ferry, is 40% contained.

There are 346 personnel assigned to the fire, including six helicopters, eight hand crews, 11 engines, 11 water tenders and assorted heavy equipment.

Very little heat was observed across most of the fire Monday, Northern Rockies Team 1 officials said. Of the observed activity, the majority was centered in the Long Canyon Creek area, where the fire was seen backing and flanking away from homes, agricultural fields and other at-risk values.

Fire within the 2015 Parker Ridge Fire scar remains scattered and is not spreading quickly due to limited continuous fuels.

While visible smoke from the fire’s interior may increase as conditions warm, Northern Rockies officials said most of the fire is not threatening containment lines.

Monday, Northern Rockies crews worked to secure and mop up fireline near Long Canyon Creek, extinguish remaining spot fires and patrol containment lines from the avalanche chute east along Smith Creek.

Structure-protection crews will ensure pumps and sprinkler systems remain operational. Helicopters will support crews on the ground with bucket drops as needed.

Crews were able to bring the fire around on the eastern flank, keeping it away from homes, agricultural fields and other at-risk values. Structure protection was added over the past few days "well south of the fire" as a precautionary measure, Schrenk said.

Conditions near the fire continue to be near record levels, with Northern Rockies fire behavior analyst LaWen Hollingsworth comparing fuel loads in the fire area to what you might see in kiln-dried hardwood used to build furniture or construction 2x4s.

"The fuels are very dry, and the only thing that's going to actually change the situation is a lot of rain, which typically is going to come in September," she said. "That's about the only thing that's going to turn the corner with how dry these fuels currently are."

A transition to Northern Rockies Team 9 is expected within a few days, with Team 1 officials noting the team has been fighting the fire for 21 days, a week past the normal 14-day assignment.

Temporary flight restrictions are in effect to ensure the safety of suppression aircraft. Both personal aircraft and drones are included in the TFRs.

Northern Rockies Team 1 officials said that, since the fire was first reported, there have been several incidents of private drones flying in the TFR zone, which prevents the team's helicopters and planes from taking off.

Both Smith Creek Road and Long Canyon Trail have been closed to public travel. Closures in the Westside and Kerr Lake Road areas, as well as a closure of Riverside Street, are connected to county projects. The Parker Ridge Trail is in the process of being closed due to its access to the bridge construction and its proximity to road prep work related to the Upper Smith Fire.

Other fires in the region include:

• Porcupine Fire — Located in Bonner County's Porcupine Creek drainage, the fire grew to 10 acres as a result of Saturday's winds.

Air resources continue to conduct water drops while crews scout additional options for indirect confinement of the fire, which was reported July 24. Due to the steep, rocky and challenging terrain, all direct extinguishment actions (working directly adjacent to the edge of the fire) have been completed. Indirect options include handline, machine line and natural and man-made features where fire can be held.

• Turner Fire — Located 5 miles south of Copeland, the fire is 100% contained and burned 681 acres.

Information: InciWeb.wildfire.gov