Small wildfire burning in remote area of Priest Lake Ranger District

A small wildfire is burning a mile south of Gleason Mountain in a remote area of the Priest Lake Ranger District, Forest Service officials said Monday.

The eight-acre fire isn’t burning aggressively and sparse fuels and cooler weather are expected to limit further growth. Firefighters haven’t been deployed to the fire at this time because of the challenging terrain conditions and remote location, according to the Idaho Panhandle National Forests.

The Priest Lake Ranger District is actively monitoring the fire, which is believed to have been started by a lightning strike in mid-July. The fire smoldered and burned in a small area until it emitted enough smoke to be detected on Friday.

People should avoid the area while the fire remains active.