Athol fire burns timber but spares Baptist church

ATHOL – A grass and timber fire burned up to the Athol Baptist Church on Saturday, but firefighters were able to save the church as well as the nearby residence of Carly Berry.

The blaze, which started on the east side of U.S. 95 north of Silverwood Theme Park, burned through thick juvenile timber to a ranch to the east.

The grass fire burned to Remington Road, and flames reached the tops of 75-foot trees lining the road.

Burning around the Berry home, the fire moved toward the church, burning up to its parking lot.

But firefighters “drew a line in the sand” and were able to keep the flames from destroying the church and home.

Idaho State Police halted traffic in both directions on U.S. 95. Pandemonium reigned as people tried to leave the Silverwood parking lot.

Escorted traffic was being guided through to state Highway 54, where traffic being routed via old Highway 95 clogged Athol and created a gigantic “parking lot” stretching from Brunner Road, up Old Highway 95 and all the way through Athol to the light at U.S. 95.

At dusk, multiple spot fires still were burning with firefighters watching for flare-ups all night.

Local excavation contractors wheeled out equipment and plowed firebreaks under the supervision of the Bureau of Land Management.

Smoke was still drifting up near the church as parishioners filed in for Sunday services the next day.

Incident commander Brad Wagner of the BLM was overall commander of the firefighting efforts with contributing units from Spirit Lake, Timberlake Fire District and Northern Lakes Fire District.

“The fire appears accidental and not caused by a cigarette,” Wagner said.

Twenty firefighters from the Tongass National Forest in Alaska have been on the fire lines, watching for flare-ups. Four fire engines have been assigned to mop-up duties and crews have been watching the situation closely.