Region levels up fire preparedness

SANDPOINT — The Northern Rockies fire preparedness level is advancing to Level 4, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

“We are now prioritized second nationally. This increase in prioritization will help when competing for resources nationally. However, large fires in Montana are being prioritized over North Idaho within the geographic area,” the Forest Service said in a statement issued on Tuesday.

The Forest Service said fire managers will continue to coordinate, utilize and move resources within the North Rockies zone to optimize suppression efforts.

Under preparedness Level 1, a fire incident can be handled with local resources and with little or no federal support, according to the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise. At Level 2, geographic areas are unable to independently accomplish incident objectives. At Level 3, mobilization of resources nationally is required to sustain incident management operations in the active geographic areas. At Level 4, shared resources are heavily committed. Level 5 — the highest level — involves heavily committed national involvement.

The Cougar Fire burning in the Cabinet Mountains east of Hope was at 3,619 acres, according to a post to the incident management website InciWeb.

Planned actions including taking necessary holding actions as fire approaches Lightning Creek Road and an established fuel break along Porcupine Creek. A point-protection barrier is being established on Lightning Mountain to safeguard a radio repeater site and Snotel site, which measures snow levels.

Fire behavior was expected to moderate overnight and areas within thermal belts will continue to burn with moderate fire behavior, the InciWeb post said.

“The main fire is expected to spread into Wellington Creek on the north perimeter and to the east on the east perimeter. The south perimeter will continue to spread downslope to the Porcupine Road,” the posting said.

Meanwhile, several fires continue to burn in the Priest Lake Ranger District.

Lighting on Sunday touched off the Athol Fire and it grew to a little more than a half an acre before it was extinguished. The Hungry Fire was at 9 acres on Tuesday and was 75-percent contained. The Divide fire is estimated at 5 acres with aviation resources assisting ground firefighters on the scene. The Mush Fire is estimated at 20 acres.

“Rappellers from the Kooteani National Forest who dropped into the area yesterday were successful in building a helispot. Four local firefighters are on scene determining a course of action to suppress the fire,” the Forest Service said of the Mush Fire.

Keith Kinnaird can be reached by email at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow him on Twitter @KeithDailyBee.