Fire burns 60 acres near Silverwood

ATHOL — A fire that burned 60 acres and for several hours required evacuations of Athol residents Tuesday is now under control after coordinated efforts by multiple agencies.

"It’s completely contained," Timberlake Fire Protection District Fire Chief Brandon Hermenet told The Press late Tuesday evening. "The only structures lost were an RV and an outbuilding. Other than that, no other structures were lost."

There were no fire-related injuries to report, Hermenet said.

The Sarah Loop Fire was reported at 2:55 p.m. a half-mile east of North Targhee Street and East Sarah Loop, northwest of Silverwood Theme Park. A Level 3 "GO NOW" evacuation order was immediately implemented as firefighters raced to battle the blaze, instructing residents to take the evacuation steps needed to give their families and homes the best chance of surviving the fire.

Timberlake High School and Real Life Ministries North Campus opened their doors to serve as temporary shelters for evacuees. The Kootenai County Fairgrounds also provided space for evacuated livestock to be housed.

Aircraft battling the blaze included two very large air tankers, one Type 1 Chinook helicopter, two large air tankers and four fire boss aircraft. In addition to crews and equipment from local fire departments, the ground attack included three hand crews, six engines and two water tenders.

"The attack on this was very aggressive," said Scott Phillips, policy and communications chief for the Idaho Department of Lands, which took command of the fire from Timberlake Fire late Tuesday evening.

Phillips said U.S. Forest Service aircraft battling the Ridge Creek Fire on the north tip of Hayden Lake diverted to the Sarah Loop Fire.

"The force was multiplied by the Forest Service’s rapid attack from the air,” he said. "We greatly appreciate the partnership we have with them."

Evacuation orders downgraded to the Level 2 "GET SET" category less than two hours after the fire was initially reported, instructing residents to be prepared for the possibility of having to evacuate.

Phillips said Department of Lands crews watched the fire through the night and will be continuing efforts today.

"We do advise folks, stay clear of the area," Phillips said.

He said heavy equipment is coming in and out during fires like these, and unnecessary people can hamper fire response.

"If anyone was injured, it would stop our crews from putting the fire out and it would be a senseless injury, too," he said.

Phillips said drones also are not permitted in wildfire areas.

"Never, ever fly drones over a wildfire or near a wildfire," he said. "When a drone is in the air we have to ground our aircraft out of safety."

The cause of the fire was unknown as of press time.

"The fire investigators were out there," Hermenet said. "It sounded like they had a pretty good idea on where it started. They were in the process of doing their investigation when we left."

This article has been updated to reflect the Level 2 evacuation category is "GET SET." Level 1 is "GET READY."