Ridge Creek Fire burns near Hayden Lake

A wildfire burning on national forest system land north of Hayden Creek Road in the Ridge Creek drainage was under attack by air Thursday, with multiple planes and helicopters dipping and scooping water from Hayden Lake.

By 10 p.m. the fire, about 3.5 miles east of the northern tip of Hayden Lake, had grown to 300 to 400 acres, said Kary Maddox, with the U.S. Fire Service — Idaho Panhandle National Forests.

A smoke report came in around 3 p.m. Thursday, and the size was initially about 5 to 10 acres. By 7 p.m. it had grown to 100 to 150 acres, Maddox said.

No evacuations were called for Thursday evening, and no structures were considered threatened.

“The fire has been growing to the northeast, aligned with wind and the terrain. That is into the forest and not toward any residences,” Maddox said.

An emergency closure is in place for the heavily used Hayden Creek Road/FSR 437, where Maddox said there is fire on both sides of the road.

“It’s absolutely dangerous for anyone to drive in there,” she said.

There were 10 interagency aircraft engaged on the fire, including four scooper planes out of Spokane, two large air tankers and a lead plane.

With assistance from the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office, lake traffic was cleared from Hayden Lake to allow the firefighting aircraft to easily get water from the lake.

A temporary flight restriction was in place, but there was a concern about drone incursions that could hamper firefighting efforts from the air.

“It’s a deadly situation for pilots,” Maddox said. “If they (drones) fly, we can’t.”

Aviation firefighting efforts continued until dusk, which Maddox said is when they are no longer allowed to fly, and would resume in the morning.