Cherry Peak Fire fully contained

Firefighters fully containment the Cherry Peak Fire southeast of Thompson Falls on Aug. 28, with a final size of 173 acres.

Transfer of command from the local Type 3 Incident Management Organization to a local Type 4 Incident Commander took place last week, and the two Interagency Hotshot Crews assigned to the fire were sent to other fires in need. 

The two hand crews were expected to hike out Saturday evening once work is complete.

Operations over the weekend focused on backhauling hose, pumps, and other gear used during suppression efforts. Firefighters remaining on the incident will also complete suppression repair work, returning areas where line was constructed to a more natural state where possible. The public may see smoke over the next several days as vegetation is consumed within the fire’s interior. This fire behavior does not pose a threat to containment lines.

The Temporary Flight Restriction over the fire area was lifted on Thursday.

The road closure for Forest Service Road 420 south of the junction with Forest Service Road 7600 was expected to be lifted Saturday evening.