Wheat fire shuts down major prairie roads
(Photo courtesy Kootenai County Fire and Rescue) A 66-acre wheat field fire near the southeast corner of Highway 41 and Hayden closed down the Rathdrum Prairie roads on Tuesday evening.
Idaho Department of Lands firefighter Josh Lander makes his way back to a truck after battling a wheat field fire east of Highway 41 on Tuesday evening. BRIAN WALKER/Press
Water is applied to the perimeter of the burned area of the wheat field fire north of Post Falls on Tuesday night. (BRIAN WALKER/Press)
Crews from Kootenai County Fire and Rescue, Idaho Department of Lands and Northern Lakes tag-teamed a wheat field fire east of Highway 41 Tuesday night. Safety chains from a semi that had pulled over are believed to have caused the fire. (BRIAN WALKER/Press)
By BRIAN WALKER
Hagadone News Network
POST FALLS — A 66-acre wheat field fire that spread quickly shut down two major roads on the Rathdrum Prairie on Tuesday night.
The blaze believed to have been caused by safety chains on a semi that had pulled over near the southeast corner of Highway 41 and Hayden Avenue was reported near the start of rush-hour traffic at 4:45 p.m.
Highway 41 in the area was closed for about 10 minutes, while Hayden between Highway 41 and Meyer Road was shut down for more than two hours as responders staged on that road.
"Ten minutes on Highway 41 is a big deal," Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Division Chief Steve Isaacson said. "The fire almost reached 41 — close enough that it had us worried."
Isaacson said a trucker had pulled over because he was having some mechanical issues.
"He apologized (for the start of the fire)," Isaacson said.
Isaacson said a slight breeze caused the fire in the dry wheat to spread rapidly, adding to the wildfire smoke that has plagued the region.
"It doesn't take much," Isaacson said of the fire's spread.
Isaacson said a priority for fire crews was preventing the blaze from reaching Highway 41 and a structure on the south side of Hayden about a quarter of a mile away.
Hayden Avenue, along with a lush mint field that has been irrigated, prevented the fire from spreading farther.
"The wheat burned hot and heavy, but the fire went out quickly when there was water on it," said Idaho Department of Lands firefighter Josh Lander. "We're glad it didn't reach any homes because it had the potential."
A power pole along Hayden also caught on fire. Fire crews attacked the fire from the ground before Avista Utilities responded with a boom truck to reach to the top of the pole to knock the rest down.
There were no injuries. Isaacson said he didn't know who owns the wheat field.
The Northern Lakes Fire District and Idaho Department of Lands assisted KCFR.
"Luckily, the fire was in the middle of all three agencies so we were able to have rapid attack," Isaacson said. "But we're sure looking forward to some rain."