Fire crews battle winds
By BRIAN WALKER
Staff Writer
HAYDEN LAKE — Firefighters held the Hudlow Fire a mile northeast of Hayden Lake to 10 acres on Thursday, but it was still only about 10 percent contained, according to the Idaho Department of Lands.
"You have to consider the amount of fuel within those 10 acres," said Mary Fritz, an IDL public information officer, referring to why it can take multiple days to put out a relatively small fire. "The more fuel that's within the fire line, the more care it needs. If trees burn, they're going to need to be cut down. That takes time."
The cause of the fire reported early Wednesday morning along Hayden Creek Road in timber and steep terrain remains under investigation, Fritz said. A U.S. Forest Service press release issued on Wednesday stated the fire as human-caused.
No structures are threatened, Fritz said, and crews are monitoring winds closely in case the fire crosses the perimeter that crews dug on Wednesday.
Winds, on the other hand, could also continue to improve air quality in the region.
According to the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, air quality is expected to be in the "unhealthy for sensitive groups" to "moderate" ranges today depending on wind direction and fire activity.
There are about 70 personnel battling the Hudlow Fire, including two hand crews, five engines and one water tender.
Helicopters at the Coeur d'Alene Airport remain on standby in case the fire spreads and an air attack is needed, Fritz said.
The fire is on property owned by the Forest Service.
The Forest Service has closed a portion of Hayden Creek Road and part of the Idaho Panhandle National Forest north of Hudlow Mountain for safety purposes. For more information on the closure, call 208-664-2318.
Meanwhile, a brush and timber fire west of Rathdrum near Highway 53 and Chase Road on Wednesday night closed the westbound lane of Highway 53 for about two hours.
The cause of the fire, which was about 40-by-50 feet and tended to by the Northern Lakes and Hauser fire districts and IDL, is under investigation, said Tyler Drechsel, Northern Lakes fire marshal.
There was no damage to vehicles or structures.
In the Idaho Panhandle National Forest, winds from the west on Thursday pushed fires in an easterly direction, according to the Forest Service.
"While some firefighters are seeing active fire behavior of single and group tree torching and uphill runs, the fire edge around most of these fires are slowly creeping and consuming light fuels," a Forest Service press release stated.
The Rampike Fire between Shoshone Creek and the Montana border in the Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District was 2,400 acres on Thursday and 0 percent contained.
The 2,631-acre Surprise Creek Fire east of Farragut State Park on the Bonner-Shoshone county line in the Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District was 20 percent contained.
The 6,655-acre Cougar Fire east of Hope in the Sandpoint Ranger District was 24 percent contained.