Fires near Priest River fully contained

PRIEST LAKE - Firefighters have gained a stranglehold on the two fires still burning near Priest Lake on Wednesday.

The 207-acre Granite Fire is now 100 percent contained and the 11-acre Blacktail Fire is fully controlled, according to a press release from the Rodney Weeks, Northern Type III Incident Management Team.

"Crews focused on securing the fire line yesterday, and their hard work brought the fire containment to 100 percent," Fire Information Officer Jill Cobb said of the Granite Fire.

The 92 firefighters still at the incident have been laying several hundred feet of hoses to support mop-up operations which extinguish hot spots throughout the fire.

Crews will also be conducting saw work to remove fuels within the fire that pose a threat to the containment line. The goal is to continue to secure the edge of the fire and maintain containment.

A closure order is still in place for Road 311.

The Blacktail Fire is now under full control, which means the control line around the fire is complete and there are no immediate threats to the control line.

The 32 firefighters on scene will continue with mop-up operations and patrol for hot spots by utilizing an infrared camera.

A closure order is still in place for Blacktail Mountain Trail No. 292 and No. 324.

The Granite Fire is located 6 miles northwest of Nordman and the Blacktail Fire is 4 miles west of Priest Lake and 6 miles north of Nordman.

Both fires were sparked by lightning on June 29.