Air crews called upon for wildfire
<p>An air tanker drops a load of retardant on a brush fire Friday between Spirit Lake and Athol.</p>
<p>A group of firefighters with the Idaho Department of Lands watch the flames while on standby near the staging area.</p>
<p>A single engine air tanker drops water on the wildland fire near Spirit Lake.</p>
SPIRIT LAKE - Teen brothers Elliott and Riley Hughes couldn't resist getting a sneak peek at airplanes and a helicopter battling a wildfire near Spirit Lake on Friday.
"We saw the smoke so we wanted to see what was going on," Elliott said with an excited voice.
The boys rode their bikes down a one-way dirt road to the staging area for the ground fire crews, but were asked to turn back for their safety.
The fire in a remote area between Spirit Lake and Athol west of Clagstone Road and north of Eagle Drive was near the dirt road and grew to 12 acres in the afternoon.
Spirit Lake Fire Chief John DeBernardi said no structures were threatened as the closest home was more than a mile away. He declined to speculate what may have caused the fire, adding that the cause is undetermined. There hasn't been any lightning in the area and there are no power lines in the vicinity.
The fire was a stark reminder of how dry conditions continue to make wildfire danger very high, putting responders on edge. At one point during the fire, a tree became quickly engulfed with flames, surprising firefighters on the ground.
As of early Friday night, the fire was being maintained around 12 acres.
"We're getting a handle on it," Spirit Lake Fire Marshal Wayne Nowacki said. "The air operations are done and the focus is on the ground within the fire lines."
Nowacki said crews were expected on scene throughout the night in case there were any re-starts.
A bulldozer was on scene to assist with the fire lines. Earlier, three planes, including a tanker, and a helicopter kept the fire at bay from the air.
Assisting Spirit Lake Fire were Timberlake, Northern Lakes, Idaho Department of Lands, Bureau of Land Management and Bonner County Emergency Management.
About 25 personnel were fighting the fire on the ground in the early afternoon with more resources on the way. The fire was reported on Friday morning when a resident called for a smoke check.
Only a slight wind and the fact that the site has been logged prevented the fire from spreading faster, DeBernardi said.
Nowacki encouraged residents to be vigilant about adhering to the fire restrictions in place, including no campfires and driving off designated roads and trails.
"Be careful - no fires and no smoking," Nowacki said. "Let's keep Smokey (Bear) happy."
Burn ban reminder
Due to the extreme dry conditions, all campfires are banned along with operating vehicles off designated roads and trails. Smoking is not allowed, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a designated recreation site or while stopped in an area at least 3 feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials. The purpose of fire restrictions is to reduce the risk of human-caused fires.