Quick response stops fire

HAYDEN — An ATV accident on Hayden Creek Road might have erupted into a raging forest fire if wasn’t for a few target shooters who put the fire out before it spread.

“The flames were 30 to 40 feet high by the time we got there,” said Jon McKenzie, who helped fight the blaze.

According to Kootenai County Sheriff’s Lt. Stu Miller, a 15-year-old male was traveling westbound on Burnt Cabin Road near Hayden Creek Road on a 2007 Can-Am All Terrain Vehicle when he failed to negotiate a corner.

“He was traveling about 30 mph and slid off the road just before the bridge barrier,” Miller said. “It landed in the creek under the bridge and caught fire.”

McKenzie said the bridge had beams covered in creosote, and caught fire quickly.

“We were afraid it was going to get into the trees,” he said, adding he and a friend — who was a former wildland firefighter — grabbed a shovel and a 5-gallon bucket to start extinguishing the bridge.

“My friend started digging a fire line and I grabbed the bucket and just started dousing the flames,” he said. “By God’s grace we were able to get the fire out.”

According to Miller the teenager was transported to Kootenai Health by his parents, who also reported the fire to the authorities. He said the rider’s injuries did not incapacitate him.

McKenzie said he was glad to learn the teenager only suffered minor injuries.

“When I saw the remains of the quad, I just hoped the rider was not still down there,” he said, adding he and his friend fought the fire for about 30 minutes before Northern Lakes Fire and the Idaho Department of Lands arrived at the scene.

Jim Lyon, spokesman for Northern Lakes, said they responded to the fire around 6:45 p.m. even though it was located outside the district’s boundaries. IDL also responded to help with the fire.

In all, Lyon said, crews dumped about 500 gallons of water on the burning bridge before it was completely extinguished.

Miller said his backcountry officers returned to the bridge on Monday to assess the damage to the bridge and to determine if it is still safe for traffic.