Weekend rains calm Bernard Fire
The Bernard Fire on September 8, the day after the man-made Labor Day fire leapt up the hillside and spent three weeks consuming 1,375 acres. Weekend rains helped firefighters keep control of the fire, which has now been downgraded.
BAYVIEW — Firefighters welcomed a much-appreciated helping hand over the weekend, as rain showers helped douse the problematic Bernard Fire.
The man-made fire started on Labor Day along the southern shores of Lake Pend Oreille, spent four days climbing the rocky hillside before cresting near the summit of Bernard Peak, where timber promptly fueled its spread. For more than two weeks, firefighters had been able to keep the blaze from claiming more acreage, but rocky terrain and dangerous landslides curtailed their efforts to strike from all sides.
Now at 1,375 acres, the fire is 75 percent contained, thanks in no small part to weekend bursts of rain.
“The air’s been clear,” said Linda Braze of the Bayview Mercantile. “I can’t see the fire from our vantage point here at the store. The reports we’ve seen have all been good.”
Those reports include checking and maintaining the lines around the perimeter, a downgrading of the fire’s complexity, and turning over jurisdiction from Forest Service teams to local control. But fire officials say that while the situation is well in hand, the fire is by no means out.
“People will still see a little bit of smoking,” said Kari Maddox, spokesperson for the Forest Service. “There’s still crews in the area. Most of what they’re doing now is monitoring the containment lines they’ve put in.”
While no buildings were destroyed and no evacuations were ordered, the nearby isolated community of Lakeview was threatened by the blaze. Teams helped with structure protection, however, and built a shaded fuel break between Lakeview and the fire, keeping the flames at bay.
Travel restrictions are still in place immediately around the area, including on the Forest Service roads. The five-day forecast calls for drier conditions and sunny skies. But support aircraft are no longer flying over the fire, as the Bernard Fire has been de-prioritized. A total of 34 personnel are still working on the fire. Locals said they were thankful for all those who came out — and those who still remain on the scene — over the past two weeks.
“They did a great job,” Braze said. “We’re very thankful for all the hard work they did.”
Over on the Callahan Fire, rains also have dampened the blaze, located about nine miles west of Troy near the Idaho/Montana border, according to Inciweb, an online interagency fire information database.
The 1,276-acre fire is 72% contained and is expected to be fully contained by Oct. 31. Due to the rains, the fire is showing minimal fire behavior and is smoldering, officials said.
Little has changed on the West Branch Fire, located about 9 miles due west of Coolin about a half-mile west of the Idaho/Washington border. The fire has burned about 113 acres and is about 20% contained.
Spread of the fire is due primarily to backing and flanking in down fuels with some isolated torching, officials said. In addition, some rollout with short flanking uphill runs has been observed.
"Falling snags and burned trees are contributing to spread by falling and sliding down the hill," officials said on InciWeb.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Staff writer Caroline Lobsinger contributed.