Early season wildfire forces evacuation alerts
The remains of a structure can be seen in the Manley Creek area on Tuesday afternoon. The fire quickly spread into the nearby vegetation, growing to 5 acres by 6 p.m. and firefighters from the Selkirk and Northside fire departments and Idaho Department of Lands responding.
Photo courtesy SELKIRK FIRE, RESCUE & EMS
Smoke can be seen in the Manley Creek area near Laclede after a structure fire spread into nearby vegetation, growing to 5 acres by 6 p.m. Firefighters from the Selkirk and Northside fire departments and Idaho Department of Lands responded to the fire, which briefly led to residents in the area being placed on "Ready" status of the Ready-Set-Go fire evacuation protocol.
Photo courtesy SELKIRK FIRE, RESCUE & EMS
Smoke can be seen in the Manley Creek area near Laclede after a structure fire spread into nearby vegetation, growing to 5 acres by 6 p.m. Firefighters from the Selkirk and Northside fire departments and Idaho Department of Lands responded to the fire, which briefly led to residents in the area being placed on "Ready" status of the Ready-Set-Go fire evacuation protocol.
Photo courtesy SELKIRK FIRE, RESCUE & EMS
A helicopter can be seen fighting a wildland fire in the Manley Creek area near Laclede.
Photo courtesy SELKIRK FIRE, RESCUE & EMS
LACLEDE — Wildfire season has arrived in Bonner County.
The fire, located on Manley Creek Road in the Laclede area, was reported about 2:41 p.m. after a structure fire spread into the surrounding vegetation, according to Selkirk Fire & Rescue officials.
"Today's fire highlights how susceptible the local vegetation is to fire spread," Selkirk Fire Chief Jeff Armstrong said. "It's concerning to see spot fires and this type of behavior so early into fire season."
The fire quickly spread into nearby vegetation and prompted the Bonner County Sheriff's Office to place residents on both Upper and Lower Manley Creek roads on "Ready" status for roughly two hours Tuesday afternoon.
Under the "Ready" status, the first of three stages in the Ready-Set-Go evacuation protocol, residents are advised to have a plan to evacuate if necessary. Under the "Set" status, residents are advised to begin putting their plan into place. Under "Go" status, residents are told to leave immediately due to an imminent threat.
Evacuation shelters at the Laclede Community Church and Laclede Community Center were briefly opened before being closed when the evacuation notice was lifted about 6:15 p.m.
Selkirk Fire officials said the structure fire was reported about 2:41 p.m. with the building fully involved when fire crews arrived on the scene. Northside and Idaho Department of Lands firefighters responded to assist with fighting the fire, with IDL assuming command of the fire early Tuesday evening.
"We are grateful for the excellent relationship we have with IDL and Bonner County Emergency Management," Armstrong said. "It provides a critical communication link when dealing with dynamic incidents like today's fire."
When reported, the fire was estimated at about 1 acre, with the fire growing to about 5 acres by 5 p.m. Officials said the fire had the potential to become multiple wildland fires burning in the area and had spread to multiple structures and vehicles.
Smoke can be seen in the Manley Creek area near Laclede after a structure fire spread into nearby vegetation, growing to 5 acres by 6 p.m. Firefighters from the Selkirk and Northside fire departments and Idaho Department of Lands responded to the fire, which briefly led to residents in the area being placed on "Ready" status of the Ready-Set-Go fire evacuation protocol.
Smoke can be seen in the Manley Creek area near Laclede after a structure fire spread into nearby vegetation, growing to 5 acres by 6 p.m. Firefighters from the Selkirk and Northside fire departments and Idaho Department of Lands responded to the fire, which briefly led to residents in the area being placed on "Ready" status of the Ready-Set-Go fire evacuation protocol.
A helicopter can be seen fighting a wildland fire in the Manley Creek area near Laclede.