Spirit Lake fire rips through over 20 acres

Crews responded to a 10- to 15-acre blaze at Spirit Lake Friday afternoon. By nightfall, it had grown to 20 to 25 acres, according to the Idaho Department of Lands.

The fire started around 2 p.m. and billowed smoke from the southwest area of Spirit Lake. Ground crews backed out at 5 p.m. due to conditions and called in air support, according to the Timberlake Fire Protection District.

Timberlake crews evacuated waterfront cabins on the southwest side of the lake but, as of 5 p.m., no other evacuations were in place.

Crews said Friday they expected to have the fire contained by 11 a.m. today.

Spirit Lake Fire District posted to Facebook Friday morning before reports of the fire, reminding citizens to avoid non-essential burning.

“Smoke from open burning can cause unnecessary public health concerns, and emergency services have limited resources to respond to out-of-control burns,” the post read.