Firefighters battle Mica blaze
<p>A firefighter sprays water on a fire on the downhill side of a road as the blaze roars behind him Tuesday during multiple agency efforts on a wildland fire near Mica Bay.</p>
<p>A firefighting aircraft dumps retardant on a fire estimated to be five acres in size near Doubletree Road.</p>
<p>A helicopter drops water from a bucket while aiding crews from the air.</p>
<p>Firefighters look to sky as air support enters the area of the wildland fire near Mica Bay.</p>
<p>Smoke fills the air, creating a dramatic scene of the forest fire near Lake Coeur d'Alene.</p>
<p>A firefighter hauls a section of hose up the road where the Mica Bay fire burns in the background.</p>
MICA BAY - Firefighters from six different agencies converged on a 5-acre wildfire in the woods above several lake homes Tuesday afternoon.
Mica Kidd Island Fire and the Idaho Department of Lands took command of the fire that was at 1-acre in size when they arrived.
Firefighters reported the fire was growing about 2 feet per minute as it jumped an access road, which stalled efforts to stop the fire from spreading.
The rapidly growing fire was just off Double Tree Road.
Other agencies were called in for support, along with a helicopter and an airplane loaded with fire retardant. Coeur d'Alene Fire, Hauser Fire, Worley Fire and Kootenai County Fire and Rescue responded.
A handful of homes in the area were threatened but none were lost as of press time.
Susan Martindale, from IDL, said the fire was a mess and that very little information was available because most of the fire crews were busy trying to stop the fire from spreading to the south.
Homeowner Steve Parmentier, who lived two bays down from the fire, also suited up to help. A fire destroyed his neighbor's home about 15 year ago.
He said a fire like Tuesday's was a pretty serious matter for people who live in the area.
"It's a big deal," he said. "You really don't want to let it get out of control."