Ridge Creek Fire: 15% contained

HAYDEN LAKE — The Ridge Creek Fire is now 15% contained.

The Eastern Area Incident Management Team and U.S. Forest Service reported Tuesday the human-caused wildfire burning 3.5 miles east of the north end of Hayden Lake along Hayden Creek Road has engulfed 2,781 acres. The fire, which started Aug. 3, is being engaged by 413 personnel, 14 engines, six pieces of heavy equipment and nine crews.

Eastern Area Incident Management Team information officer Clark McCreedy said the containment line on the south end of the fire is holding steady.

"The operational staff feels pretty comfortable about that," he said Tuesday.

However, the current heat wave and dry conditions could stymie suppression efforts.

"They have some concerns about the weather so they have staffed up and acquired the use of five helicopters to support the ground crew," McCreedy said. "And rightly so."

He said temperatures are 100 degrees in base camp. The south-facing slope is going to feel hotter and vegetation and ground fuels will dry quickly.

Wind behavior is sounding alarm bells, as well. A few days ago, north-northeast winds were concerning, McCreedy said.

Now the wind is coming from the west to southwest and moving the fire to the northeast at approximately 8 mph with gusts to 15 mph.

These conditions are conducive to increased fire activity and fire growth, the Eastern Area Incident Management Team and U.S. Forest Service said in a Tuesday news release.

"These conditions will continue throughout the week," the release said.

McCreedy said everyone needs to exercise extreme caution in terms of these weather conditions and their impacts on the fire.

"It is going to produce fire behavior, folks are going to see smoke," he said. "We’ve got a lot of folks on the ground, a lot of ships in the air to support them."

McCreedy said Ridge Creek Fire crews will also have two scooper planes at their disposal starting not later than this morning.

He said firefighting aircraft are continuing to source water from Hayden Lake.

"We want people to be really aware and really cautious if they're out there boating," McCreedy said.

No evacuations have been ordered at this time for this fire. The Kootenai County Office of Emergency Management has issued an alert to inform residents of the "READY, SET, GO" status in the vicinity of Bunco Road and Hayden Lake. Those in the "GET READY" category are being cautioned to heighten awareness of fire information, be familiar with evacuation procedures if it becomes necessary and consistently adhere to good fire prevention measures.

Crews successfully conducted firing operations to strengthen containment lines Monday night, broadening lines to 200 feet in depth in some cases. Night operations will continue through the week to take advantage of nighttime conditions that allow firefighters to burn away materials adjacent to existing containment lines, the news release said.

Crews were able to use firing operations on the west flank of the fire to strengthen the constructed dozer line that extends south from the Bonneville Power Administration transmission line to the heel of the fire at Hayden Creek Road. A new base camp of 54 crew members was established near the Hudlow Warming Hut for firefighters working the southeast perimeter. Five helicopters, and fixed-wing reconnaissance aircraft, are supporting ground operations.

A structure protection group will continue assessing homes and structures to include the Lakeview community on Lake Pend Oreille as well as areas east of Hayden Lake and the Bunco Road area.

A temporary flight restriction is in place to prevent the incursion of civilian aircraft into the area used by firefighting aircraft. This restriction also applies to the use of drones in the area.