Parkway Fire 10% contained

Fire crews held the Parkway Fire in Q’emlin Park at 80 acres and reached 10% containment Saturday.

The fire, which began Friday at the Greensferry trailhead, burned in a steep, heavily timbered area above the Spokane River, near the Post Falls dam.

Evacuations were lifted around 7 p.m. Saturday for the residential area just south of Q’emiln Park. Evacuations remained in place along Riverview Terrace and in the forest west of the park.

Early weather projections Friday and Saturday warned of possible thunderstorms, which didn’t materialize.

“Other than dropping buckets of rain, the weather really cooperated with our efforts today,”  Idaho Department of Lands Communications Chief Scott Phillips said.

IDL coordinated Saturday’s attack on the fire with two helicopters, four engines, three crews with around 20 men and a dozer.

The night crew was reduced to two engines and fewer firefighters until daylight.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Overnight crews focused on protecting homes from the blaze Friday night and on containment Saturday. No structures were lost at 7 p.m. Saturday, though a handful remained threatened.

The flames were predominantly in rough terrain, which made air support critical in battling the blaze where crews couldn’t access.

Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Chief Chris Way encouraged residents to water their landscaping and defensible space prior to leaving their homes to support fire crews.

Evacuations were ordered in the area north of Riverview Drive and West of Spokane Street. The Red Cross set up a shelter at Mullan Trail Elementary School, but closed the shelter after no one arrived to take advantage of the resource.

The sheriff’s office also closed West Riverview Drive near Area Court and Schilling Loop.

IDL is asking anyone with first-hand information about the fire’s ignition, or with credible information to share with fire investigators, to call 208-666-8697 or email investigation@idl.idaho.gov.

Many people have asked how they can help or support the fire effort.

The IDL issued a press release asking “the public and industry to increase their caution as a spark in dry conditions can start and carry a fire a long distance, putting communities at greater risk for catastrophic fires.”

Phillips asked people to focus on building defensible space around their homes. He suggested that people go to firewise.org to download a checklist for how to protect their homes from a fire.

He also advised people not to fly drones anywhere around the fire because it blocks air support and forces flights to ground. A drone was spotted in the air Friday.

Information about the evacuations can be found on the Kootenai County Emergency Management Facebook page: https://loom.ly/S7CEqKM

View the location of the Parkway Fire on IDL’s Idaho Fire Map: https://loom.ly/LfHzG3E

Find all IDL fire updates at www.idl.idaho.gov/fire