Evacuation notices issued

SANDPOINT — The weather patterns are causing concern for area fires, with evacuation notices served to areas on the Parker Ridge and Tower fires.

Stage I and voluntary Stage II evacuations are in place for the Parker Ridge Fire, northwest of Bonners Ferry.

Public information officer Shanna Kleinsmith said the evacuation orders are simply an alert to keep people “ahead of the game.” She said it is smart to get animals prepped for moving or for people to get out now while the traffic is still light.

The evacuations are for residents along Westside Road in the area northwest of Parker Creek. Residents are asked to voluntarily leave the area and go to family or friends, especially people with special needs, pets, livestock or those needing transportation. Residents should be prepared to leave at a moments notice.

The Bonners Ferry Junior High is available for people who need a place to go.

If the fire conditions worsen, Stage III evacuations will be put in place and the public will be told to leave the area immediately. Fire officials ask that people check with neighbors to make sure everyone is aware of the situation.

A Stage I alert has been placed for residents in the Kootenai River Valley from Trout Creek to Parker Creek on Westside Road, and from Copeland to Porthill on the Farm to Market Road, west of Highway 1. Stage I advises resident to gather personal belongings and determine a safe place to go should the fire worsen.

The fire crews are holding the fire to 6,147 acres with 117 people battling the blaze.  More crews have been requested, Kleinsmith said. The fire is still showing 0 percent contained.

“The fire hasn’t grown much,” Kleinsmith said. “We’re keeping our fingers crossed it’s going to stay (at 6,147 acres).” 

The main concern for this fire conditions is the red flag alert, Kleinsmith said. She said the winds are going to be from 8-12 miles per hour with gusts up to 20 mph.

A manned information booth is set up at the Boundary County Fair through Saturday. 

“That’s what could get the fire moving in a different direction,” Kleinsmith said.

The Clark Fork Complex fire includes the Scotchman Peak and Whitetail Fires, with a third start for the Marten Fire.

The Scotchman Peak fire is about 2,143 acres, burning the east side of Scotchman Peak in the Blue Creek drainage. The southwest flank of the fire crossed the southern ridge of the peak and is backing slowly down the hill to the southwest.

Crews are working on control lines and strengthening existing roads as fuel breaks along the foot of the hill. According to InciWeb, a fire tracking website, a structure assessment and plan is being developed.

The fire is about 4 miles northeast of Clark Fork. There are no evacuation orders in place for this fire.

Trails in the Scotchman Peak area are closed. They include Scotchman Trail No. 65, Goat Mtn. No. 135, Regal No. 556, Morris No. 132, East Fork System Nos. 1184, 563, 1030, and 212. There is an area closure in place for public safety, generally from Buckskin Saddle southeast to Bluff Creek, and Delyle Ridge south to Cathedral Peak.

The Whitetail Fire is about 600 acres in size, burring the southeast flank of Whitetail Peak in the “Deer Creek” area. InciWeb said crews improved the 332 road and created a dozer line along the ridge to hold the fire to the south of the road. Air resources were used to moderate fire spread and hold the lines, keeping the fire out of Dry Creek.

The fire is about 9 miles south of Clark Fork. There are no evacuation orders in place for this fire.

The Marten Fire is a new start, burning about 3-4 acres west of the Whitetail Fire. Two helicopters used bucket drops Thursday afternoon and had good success knocking down the flames and cooling the heat, InciWeb said.

Firefighters will not be assigned to the fire because of the remote location and heavy fuel load, but air resources will continue to moderate the fire using bucket drops. There are no evacuation orders in place for this fire.

Residents who wish to be updated on fire information can sign up with Nixle, an emergency alert notification system, at www.nixle.com.