BONNERS FERRY — Fire crews are nearing full containment of the Turner Fire, just over a week after it forced more than 100 homes to be evacuated in the Copeland area of northern Boundary County.

The fire, which is under the command of Northern Rockies Team 1, has burned 681 acres. It is 79% contained. There are 199 personnel assigned to the fire, with some of the crew previously assigned to the fire reallocated to the nearby Upper Smith Fire.

As containment continues to grow on the Turner Fire, more of the resources assigned to the fire also will be shifted to the Upper Smith Fire, located 6 miles west of Porthill, to strengthen on-the-ground operations and protect critical values at risk, Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team officials said.

Crews have spent the past few days extinguishing hot spots as part of an effort to strengthen and secure the firelines. There has been no growth beyond the fire perimeter, Northern Rockies officials said.

That work is expected to continue for the next few days as crews continue to extinguish hot spots, felling fire-weakened trees and cooling ash pits to minimize the risk of the fire escaping containment.

On the Upper Smith Fire, which has increased in size to 970 acres, crews continue to balance direct and indirect tactics to protect critical values at risk due to the fire, including the Kootenai Tribe and private property in the Kootenai River drainage, agricultural fields and infrastructure.

There are now 437 personnel assigned to the fire, which continues to actively burn in steep, rocky and difficult terrain with a heavy fuel load and deep "duff layers" composed of decomposing organic matter such as leaves, pine needles and other plant matter.

"Fire behavior will be active for this time of year, with smoke columns visible from the valley," Northern Rockies incident commander Brent Olson said in a press release.

The Upper Smith Fire continues to exhibit backing and flanking behavior, with occasional single-tree torching, officials said. The fire continues to move downhill at a slow rate.

As temperatures and the potential for thunderstorms increase, Northern Rockies officials said fire behavior could be more active due to warmer temperatures, lower relative humidity and slightly stronger winds.

Crews have a fireline in place along an avalanche chute in the area, with crews monitoring and reinforcing it as needed. On the fire’s northwest corner, sprinkler systems have been installed down to Smith Creek. As conditions allow, fire operations may be conducted to secure the fire's northwestern corner and prevent it from moving north of Smith Creek.

On the fire’s southern ridgeline, adjacent to the 2022 Long Canyon Fire footprint, crews have completed construction of a direct hand line, securing it with newly established hose lays. Along the fire’s eastern perimeter, crews are constructing and improving an indirect control line using existing roads and hand lines, as well as dozers and other heavy equipment.

Pending thunderstorms pose the most serious risk to efforts to contain the Upper Smith Fire, Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team officials told the 60 or so residents who turned out for Monday's fire information meeting.

Efforts to bring the Upper Smith Fire into some degree of containment could take a week or so, depending on a variety of factors, Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team officials told area residents at the community meeting.

Noah Myers, Northern Rockies incident meteorologist, said the area is seeing a warming trend with the chance for showers and thunderstorms later in the week.

That trend could result in outflow winds and potential lightning strikes in the region, Myers told those gathered at Monday's community meeting, which attracted more than 70 residents seeking information on the two northern Bonner County wildfires.

Northern Rockies long-term fire behavior analyst LaWen Hollingsworth said that, looking back historically, only 4% of records taken in the past 20 years show the area burning hotter than it is currently.

While the Turner Fire is "in great shape" from a fire behavior perspective, Hollingsworth said the Upper Smith Fire is hung up in an avalanche chute and could see growth into the next drainage and to the north.

With the expected thunderstorms Thursday and Friday, Hollingsworth said outflow winds from the storms could cause problems.

"Those really gusty winds that come with a thunderstorm can really push a fire around in unknown ways," she added. "So we will be very vigilant in watching for that."

Operations section chief Scott Schrenk said crews are keeping an eye on the "steep, gnarly avalanche chute" to ensure the fire doesn't throw any spot fires.

Northern Rockies crews have developed a Plan A that involves working to turn the fire near the avalanche chute to prevent it from spreading up the drainage.

On the Upper Smith Fire, crews are working toward direct containment and attempting to box in the fire on the fire's western flank. However, the rugged and steep terrain — as well as a heavy fuel load — poses challenges in fighting the fire and determines where crews can lay firelines and make indirect and direct attacks on the fire.

But Northern Rockies officials said the complex team is pursuing a full suppression attack on the lightning-sparked wildfire.

"We're all in on this," Schrenk said.

Evacuation status in the area of the Turner Fire remains at "Set" status after being lowered from "Go" on July 18 after Boundary County Sheriff Travis Stolley determined conditions had improved enough to warrant the change.

Under "Ready" status, residents are advised to have a plan to evacuate if necessary; under "Set" status, residents are advised to begin putting their plan into place. Under "Go" status, residents are advised to leave due to an imminent threat.

Roughly 100 homes were included in the evacuation notice, with another 150 advised to have a plan and be ready to put it into place. All residents near the Turner Fire are on "Set" status through the completion of firefighting efforts on the fire, Stolley said.

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.

Temporary flight restrictions are in effect over both fires to ensure the safety of suppression aircraft. Both personal aircraft and drones are included in the TFR.

The Copeland and Porthill boat launches have reopened, but Boundary County Sheriff Travis Stolley cautioned residents that aerial resources could be present if water is needed to cool the fire. That means that residents "need to clear the area" if they see any near the Kootenai River and recognize that the possibility exists.

Info.: inciweb.wildfire.gov

    A direct line on the Upper Smith Fire's west side.