Ridge Creek Fire continues to burn
Smoke billows to the north of homes on the northern tip of Hayden Lake as the Ridge Creek Fire burns Friday afternoon.
DEVIN WEEKS/Press
Single-engine airtankers scoop water from Hayden Lake as efforts are underway Friday to control the Ridge Creek Fire.
A helicopter is seen above the trees as efforts are underway Friday to control the Ridge Creek Fire burning on national forest land north of Hayden Creek Road in the Ridge Creek drainage.
A female moose and other woodland creatures were seen on the north end of Hayden Lake as the Ridge Creek Fire raged in the area Friday.
Northern Lakes Fire District Deputy Fire Marshal Chris Larson, right, and Hayden Lake resident John Huizinga look to the north Friday afternoon as smoke billows from the Ridge Creek Fire.
A helicopter moves a bucket of water over the trees Friday to the Ridge Creek Fire above Hayden Lake.
HAYDEN LAKE — Residents on the north and east sides of Hayden Lake were bracing for possible evacuation Friday as the Ridge Creek Fire continued to burn in heavy timber 3.5 miles east of the north tip of the lake along Hayden Creek Road in the Ridge Creek drainage.
The fire, which was 0% contained as of Friday night, is estimated to be 300-400 acres in size, according to information from the Kootenai County Office of Emergency Management. This estimate includes spots where sparks or embers had carried to as far as a half-mile ahead of the fire on the east flank. The cause is unknown at this time.
“We live in the forest. It’s one of the things we have to do when we live in the forest,” said John Huizinga, who lives about 4 miles from the fire on the north side of Hayden Lake.
“This is what bothers me," he said, looking at the wall of smoke to the north. "It’s down in the draw right now."
Helicopters and single engine air tractors were extracting water from Hayden Lake and smaller surrounding bodies of water including Stump Creek as firefighters work to quell the flames via airdrop.
“We’ve seen this lots of times, so we’re kind of used to it,” said Lisa Palmer, who has lived on property next to Stump Creek with husband Lester Palmer for 30 years.
"We know there’s fire close if they’re here," she said.
She said she always assumes fires like this are caused by people.
"But there was lightning 10 days before that, so that may have started it," she said.
Northern Lakes Fire District firefighters went door to door within the Level 1 "Get Ready" notification area on the east side of Hayden Lake to warn residents about the possibility of evacuation, urging them to prepare. Officials are encouraging those with livestock to begin making arrangements for their safe transport, as space at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds is fairly full with animals for a junior rodeo.
The "Get Ready" level asks residents to create and maintain defensible space and harden their homes against flying embers. The next level, "Get Set," tells people to have their homes and families prepared ahead of time for the possibility of evacuation.
The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office assisted by clearing Hayden Lake of boats. Sheriff Bob Norris said his agency ensured the lake was closed for traffic so that air tankers can land safely and pick up water. Deputies are notifying residents to promote evacuation readiness.
The Ridge Creek Fire and the Parkway Fire that began burning Friday afternoon in Post Falls have put a strain on law enforcement personnel.
“We’re using all our available resources,” Norris said. “We’re holding day shift (to stay late). We’re calling in people.”
Brooke Rogers has lived on the north tip of the lake for six years and has never experienced this level of fire danger and aerial fire suppression near her residence.
"We're an aviation-loving family, so it's fascinating for us to watch the planes," she said.
She said she and her family are feeling "nothing more than straight-up appreciation for the job that they're doing, all the firefighters out there, the fire bosses and everybody putting their lives in danger to help keep us safe."
Kary Maddox of the U.S. Fire Service — Idaho Panhandle National Forests, said Friday night that wind direction was not impacting the fires, but east winds are expected today.
"That’s obviously concerning because that's the opposite way we would want the fire to go," she said.
She said an infrared flight was expected to go over the area late Friday night to give agencies a more accurate acreage count on the Ridge Creek Fire by morning.
Various agencies that manage lands in North Idaho have ordered Stage II restrictions to go into effect Wednesday.
Stage II fire restrictions concern only public lands and prohibit the following: fires, campfires and stove fires; smoking, except in an enclosed vehicle or building, a designated recreation site or while stopped in an area at least 3 feet in diameter that is clear of all flammable materials; operating motorized vehicles off designated roads and trails, including ATVs, UTVs and pickups; operating chainsaws and other combustion-engine equipment; and blasting and welding.
Maddox said the restrictions won't be in place sooner because of the required implementation efforts across 2.9 million acres.
"It's not something that can be implemented overnight," she said. "It would have been nice to be in restrictions right now, but that's not something we can predict."
Visit www.idl.idaho.gov/fire-management/fire-restrictions-finder for full fire restriction details.
