BONNER COUNTY, Idaho — The Little Pine Fire has burned 190 acres with 100% containment as of Wednesday morning. Crews have completed a fire line around the entire perimeter of the blaze.
Crews were able to increase containment as mop-up efforts continue around the fire's perimeter. The incident management will turn command of the fire back to the local fire district on Thursday, according to the Idaho Department of Lands.
“Without a strong initial attack, we could have been sitting in a different position today,” said incident commander Mike McManus.
Fire crews were faced with extreme heat as they've worked to contain the flames. The heat required teams to increase their water intake and take more frequent breaks in the shade. They received assistance from helicopter crews throughout clean-up efforts. With temperatures expected to be near 100 degrees, a major concern was heat exhaustion on the frontline.
Four firefighting crews are working in record-breaking heat to contain the fire that is burning near Priest River in Pine Creek, 1 mile south of Blue Lake in Bonner County, Idaho.
The brushfire started around 3 p.m. Tuesday, June 22. The fire was driven by high winds which caused spot fires, leading to fire growth, according to fire crews. This is a slow-moving fire as it moves through a heavy fuel area.
The fire was first measured at 12 acres and quickly grew to 150 acres in just a matter of hours.
According to the Idaho Department of Lands, no structures are threatened and no evacuations or road closures are in place. Smoke can be seen from Priest River, Sandpoint and north of Highway 2. Crew advises that there will be heavy smoke in the North Idaho area throughout the day.
Fire crews are on the ground, dozers and excavators are establishing fire lines, and aircraft pilots are collecting water from the Pend Oreille River to drop over the fire, IDL officials said in a press release.
This is a developing story and will be updated when more information becomes available.
