Wind fuels blaze north of Bonners Ferry; 100-plus acres burn

A 108-acre fire blazed up a valley north of Bonners Ferry on Wednesday afternoon, aided by windy weather, officials said.

Four homes were evacuated, but the residents were allowed to return about 9 p.m., said Maridel Merritt, information officer for the North Idaho Fire Team.

Late Wednesday, the fire was 50 percent contained, and crews hoped to have it fully contained by tonight.

Because the valley, known locally as North Hill, is so steep, the fire spread quickly, said Scott Bacon, area supervisor for the Idaho Department of Lands.

It went from the valley floor to the flat top – about three-eighths of a mile – in less than an hour, he said.

Six aircraft from the Idaho Department of Lands and the Forest Service were dropping fire retardant.

The crews hoped to have a line around the fire by this morning and extinguish it over the next several days, Bacon said.

No injuries were reported.

The fire started along railroad tracks northeast of Bonners Ferry and went up the hillside toward the airport, said Mark Grant, fire management officer for the Idaho Panhandle National Forests.

The cause was not known.

“We need to remind people that even though we got a lot of rain … with the high temperatures and the wind, things are drying out very quickly,” Merritt said.

“Fire season is here.”