Firefighters prepare to fight fire with fire

Firefighters are getting ready to fight fire with fire near Bayview and they want to meet with Cape Horn residents before they do.

Any resident or landowner affected by the Cape Horn Fire is invited to a public meeting at the Bayview Community Center located at 20298 Perimeter Road, the Western Montana Incident Command Team released late Sunday evening. The meeting will be held on Tuesday night at 8 p.m.

According to the release, discussions will include the planned control burn on the Cape Horn Fire tentatively scheduled for Wednesday.

The burn-out operation could produce a large column of smoke within the fire perimeter.

If smoke is observed that does not appear to be within the Cape Horn Fire call the fire information number (208) 683-1024 or 911. the release said.

There was no word at press time on the size of the fire or how the weather is affecting the efforts.

The last update stated that incident commanders hoped to have ground crews tie the northern fire down to the shoreline of Lake Pend Oreille on Sunday.

The fire was at 1,308 acres Saturday night at 9:30 p.m., but winds were gusty Sunday. The total number of personnel has continued to grow. It was at nearly 500 firefighters Saturday night.