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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Bayview locals worry about fire’s impact on homes, tourism

“It’s unbelievable,” Bayview resident Linda Greco said as she watched the fire burn Monday. The fire has burned more than 2,000 acres. (Kathy Plonka)

BAYVIEW, Idaho– Residents who remained in this small resort community Monday gave thanks that a swiftly moving wildfire slowed in the hills above town, but braced for the worst as smoke continued to billow overhead.

Ralph Jones, owner of a coffee shop that remained open, pointed to pictures of a fire that scorched thousands of acres in 1910.

“In 1997 there was a fire over Labor Day, and you can still see the scars running up the hill,” Jones said in between frying eggs and assembling sandwiches for customers.

The latest wildfire, which has burned about 2,000 acres and at least six homes along the banks of Lake Pend Oreille, comes amid Bayview’s busy tourist season. Jones said he has seen several local businesses shuttered over the years and has worried that a larger fire could bring his to a halt as well.

“This is our biggest fear come true,” he said.

Businesses along Highway 54 became gathering places as folks hiked up the hill for their belongings and traded stories about what may have caused the fire. The origin remains under investigation, but many residents said they had seen video of an out-of-control campfire following a boating accident along Cape Horn, where the fire began.

Tom Fleer, a manager with the Idaho Department of Lands, said the fire is suspected to have been human-caused.

Dave Hamilton was one of Jones’ customers. He owns a cabin that has been in his family since the 1950s, right in the path of the fire.

“It’s the only place I own in the world,” he said.

Hamilton said he’ll wait in Sandpoint to see what happens to the cabin. Hundreds of firefighters were assigned to the fire, digging lines north of the city to keep it away from homes and businesses.

A aerial firefighting tanker capable of dropping 5,000 gallons of water at a time was expected to help fire suppression efforts Monday night.

Marie Streater sat in the backyard shade at JD’s Resort, a bar along the road, and stroked the head of Grace, her mother’s Doberman. She watched the fire billow over the ridge Sunday night from the balcony of her home and fielded phone calls until 3 a.m., she said.

“It looked like a bomb zone, a complete war zone,” Streater said.

Lynn Neubauer drummed fingernails adorned with red, white and blue for the holiday on the table next to Streater. Her home sits on Cape Horn, near the active parts of the fire, but relatives hiked in early Monday and said the family’s house was safe.

“Nature takes its course,” Neubauer said. “We can just pray that everyone’s safe.”

The fire moved along a rocky ridge to the east edge of town Monday afternoon, moving west as winds began to settle in the early afternoon.

Firetrucks and their crews sat watch near homes in the Cape Horn Estates subdivision, where fingers of fire snaked through lawns. A few foundations showed where homes had once stood, and a dock railing on the lake side ended abruptly where residents say a home used to stand.

Scott Lillard and Linda Greco, who live in the hills west of town, said they were concerned the wind would pick up and carry the flames into their backyard.

“I swear to God, when it hopped over that ridge you could hear the whole town hold its breath,” Greco said, pointing across the lake to flames visible on the north shore.

The couple’s boat, Plane to Sea, caught some hot embers late Sunday, despite being docked about a mile from the fire line, Lillard said.

Sheila Bixenstein waited in an SUV for her husband, Frank, to rescue her daughter’s dog, a big white pooch named Doug. Her son-in-law had mistakenly left Doug at a home behind the fire line.

“When you live in the city, you don’t pay attention as much,” Bixenstein said, as Doug and her husband came scampering back to the car. “But we live it out here.”

Bayview celebrated its annual festival, Bayview Daze, on Saturday with a fireworks show on the lake. Coffee shop owner Jones said the usual barrage of personal fireworks was less pronounced this year because of the high fire danger.

“The rest of my life has changed,” Jones said, peeping over the treetops to see the smoke rising to the east.

He returned to his shop, where he sat on the computer following news of the fire on Facebook. A resident stopped in to make sure he was alright.

“Are you going to be here until the bitter end?” she asked.

“Of course,” he answered.