Bayview evacuated as Cape Horn fire grows

BAYVIEW — Hundreds have already evacuated the town of Bayview, while several hundred more are waiting — if they leave, they cannot come back until the danger subsides.

Craig Hofmeister, of Bayview, found that out the hard way on Monday.

Hofmeister and his wife spent Sunday loading a trailer with their belongings just in case they had to evacuate. They weren’t too concerned about leaving right away because the fire is burning across the bay from them.

Hofmeister went to work for a few hours on Monday, and was going to return home to pick up his wife and belongings. He was also going to help his neighbor evacuate.

“But they won’t let me back in,” he said, standing in a parking lot at Farragut State Park, where police and park officials had Highway 54 into Bayview blocked. “I think they are being overly cautious and it’s frustrating.

“In 15 minutes I could hook up to the trailer and be out of there,” he added. “I’m used to doing my own stuff, but they just won’t let us do that.”

While Highway 54 was blocked going into Bayview, the section of that highway leaving Bayview had a steady stream of evacuees on Monday.

As of 6 p.m. Monday, the Cape Horn Fire had consumed well more than 2,000 acres and destroyed eight structures, six of which were homes. It was zero percent contained.

Gov. Butch Otter signed a declaration of disaster emergency on Monday in support of Bonner and Kootenai counties after getting news of the Cape Horn fire.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and individuals who have lost homes in the area,” Otter said in a press release. “We will continue to support the impacted jurisdictions in protecting lives, property and businesses.”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the Cape Horn Fire. Bonner County, Kootenai County and the Idaho Bureau of Homeland Security requested the assistance due to the rapidly moving fire, dangerous fire conditions and the potential for its impact to the residences in the fire’s anticipated path.

Jim and Jamie Berube live in the Spokane Valley, but they also own a float home in Bayview. They said they watched the fire consume three houses on Sunday night.

“You could hear the propane tanks exploding and the glass shattering,” Jamie said, adding it didn’t take the fire long to completely consume the homes. “They were leveled to nothing but the foundation.”

The Berubes said they could hear firefighters and chain saws going around the clock Sunday night.

In all, the U.S. Forest Service said there were 100 fire personnel involved in the initial attack on the fire. There were also two air tankers, two helicopters, three fire boats, and two sheriff boats helping with the fire.

Additional resources have been ordered and will arrive throughout the day and evening today.

The fire increased from 500 acres Sunday night to 2,000 acres by morning. On Monday aircraft peppered Cape Horn with fire retardant and water, while grounds crews and a dozer dug a massive fire line. Fireboats were also spraying water onto the fire along the shoreline.

The current firefighting team is comprised of type three firefighters, according to Jason Kirchner, a spokesperson for the Panhandle National Forest.

A type two team will take command of the fire at 6 a.m. today, he said, adding that will make additional resources available.

“A type one team is the most capable firefighting team with the highest level of complexity,” Kirchner said. “The type two team is just below them.”

Kirchner was headed to Farragut State Park to help the type two team on Monday afternoon.

Currently staged at the park nearby is a helitack crew, which has a helicopter capable of transporting firefighters but also capable of using a bucket to douse the fire with lake water. Kirchner said currently the helicopter is being used for water drops.

Kathy Clark, who has a home in the Pend Oreille Pines housing development on the tip of Cape Horn, is one of the holdouts.

Her house was spared, but she is staying behind until she has to leave because she has heard she can’t come back after she leaves.

Her area of the cape was completely evacuated Sunday and additional evacuations were ordered on Monday for residents along Perimeter Road from Salee Creek Road east to Cape Horn Road. A pre-evacuation notice is in effect for Bayview, east of Main Street and Marietta Street.

Clark said so far her house is safe but neighbors have told her that there are small spot fires cropping up around the houses. She was able to stay with friends who own a float home on the bay, but she said eventually she may evacuate to Coeur d’Alene until the fire is stopped.

“You know yesterday we were just saying we got away with the Fourth of July without much happening,” she said. “Then something like this had to happen.”

Fire officials are still investigating the cause of the fire, but there are differing versions of a rumor floating around Bayview about someone on a small boat being responsible for the fire. Clark said she has heard that someone started a campfire on the beach, and others are saying they heard the boat itself caught on fire and was beached near the “Breakfast Beach” area of Cape Horn.

“Either way we know the boat was swamped and they had to be rescued,” she said. However, fire officials could not confirm that on Monday.

Marilyn Holte said she lives on Duwamish Road, which was completely evacuated and just below the fireline Monday afternoon. She said her entire street has been cleared of brush and was lined with firefighters to protect dozens of homes along that street.

Holte said she was one of the lucky ones who got escorted back to her home so she could get her camper.

“They even cleared all of the stuff that could burn off of our deck and set in a pile in the driveway,” she said, adding the firefighters were extremely helpful to her.

She said the whole experience has been surreal.

“I don’t think Bayview will ever be the same,” she said.