County Line fire threatened structures in Idaho; crews work to suppress spotting

The County Line fire on the border of Idaho’s Kootenai and Benewah counties consumed 192 acres Saturday.

Level 3 “go now” evacuation notices were issued for residents and livestock south of West Louie Road and down past West County Line Road, according to a map put out by the Kootenai County Emergency Management department.

As of 5:45 Saturday, Kootenai County Emergency Management wrote on its Facebook page that “All evacuation notices have been rescinded. County Line Road will remain closed through the evening due to dangerous snags.” This includes spotting activity at the frontlines of the fire, said Idaho Department of Lands Spokesperson Jonathan Luhnow.

Luhnow said structures were under threat but that he had not received news of any structural damage as of 5 p.m. Saturday.

The response to the fire has included three air tankers, three water scoops, and two helicopters, Luhnow said. One helicopter was pulled off to respond to another fire around 4 p.m.

No cause for the fire has been determined as of Saturday afternoon.