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

Disaster declared for Bayview blaze

Destruction mounts, feds take charge as wildfire expands

From Staff Reports

The Cape Horn fire near Bayview, Idaho, remained uncontained Monday evening after burning 2,000 acres and destroying six homes and two other structures since it started Sunday afternoon.

The wildfire raced through steep terrain on the south end of Lake Pend Oreille and continued to pose a threat to Bayview’s 287 homes and businesses, including a high-value marina. The Naval Acoustics Research Station in Bayview, nearby Farragut State Park and high-use recreation areas on the lake’s shores also are at risk.

About 200 residents evacuated Sunday and Monday, and more residents and businesses were told to prepare for possible evacuation of Bayview east of Main and Marietta streets. Highway 54 is closed at Bayview.

Cause: The blaze started near the lake-shore and burned upslope through timber. A team of investigators planned to examine where the fire started to try to determine a cause.

Federal help: The Federal Emergency Management Agency has authorized using federal funds to help with firefighting costs, including eight air tankers, three helicopters and eight engines. A federal firefighting team will assume command today, relieving the Idaho Department of Lands and rural fire districts. FEMA’s authorization makes federal grant funds available to reimburse 75 percent of the state of Idaho’s eligible firefighting costs, which include only firefighting and life-saving efforts, not assistance to individuals or businesses or infrastructure damage.

Disaster declaration: Idaho Gov. Butch Otter on Monday declared Kootenai and Bonner counties a disaster emergency area – a necessary step in securing federal spending to help cover the costs of battling the fire. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and individuals who have lost homes in the area,” Otter said in prepared remarks. “We will continue to support the impacted jurisdictions in protecting lives, property and businesses.” The two counties each requested the disaster declaration late Sunday night.

Firefighting resources: About 150 firefighters have been deployed, with ground crews and a dozer digging fire lines, including up to the ridge above Bayview. Aircraft dropped retardant and water, and fireboats, including a U.S. Navy boat, doused homes near shore with water. Additional resources were arriving through Monday evening with plans to conduct burnout operations to bolster fire lines and containment.

Weather: Winds from the east pushed the fire to the west, toward Bayview. Today’s forecast calls for a high near 81 and scattered showers with thunderstorms possible after 11 a.m. An east wind of 5-8 mph will shift to a north wind in the afternoon. Tonight will bring a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11 p.m.

Air quality: North Idaho’s air quality index is moderate: Unusually sensitive people should consider reducing prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors.

Shelter: An evacuation center remains open at Timberlake High School in Spirit Lake. The Kootenai County Fairgrounds has space for large and small animals and room for owners to camp.

Cell service: Local cellphone towers are having difficulty handling the volume of calls. People are asked to stay off their cellphones except for emergencies, to allow firefighting communications and emergency response.

Fire restrictions: Stage 1 fire restrictions take effect tonight across all lands in Bonner, Boundary, Kootenai, Shoshone, Benewah and Latah counties. Camp and stove fires are banned outside designated recreation sites, and smoking is prohibited outside enclosed vehicles, buildings and designated recreation sites.