Pioneer Fire is 100% contained

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SANDPOINT — As the Pioneer Fire reached 100% containment on Wednesday, crews doubled down on efforts to fight the Trestle Creek Complex fires.

Fire behavior on the Pioneer Fire remains to be minimal with some smoldering seen in the area, Caroline McGough, North Idaho Type 3 IMT public information officer, said.

Crews will continue mop-up operations with cold trailing, a method to ensure that mop-up standards of 100 feet within fire perimeter are cold to the touch.

Backhauling of unnecessary equipment began Wednesday so that it could be reassigned and utilized elsewhere, she said.

The fire, which is 2 miles north of Priest River, was first reported July 29 and has burned a total of 355 acres and forced the evacuation of more than 30 residences.

The cause of the fire, which is under the Pend Oreille Forest Protective District, is under investigation.

All roads associated to the Pioneer Fire are in the "ready" category for evacuations. They include Skunk Cabbage, Bodie Canyon, Kacy Bear, Mundy Lane, Slippery Slope Trail, Saddler Creek, Snow Valley, Bear Paw (from Highway 57 to Snow Valley) roads.

There are 160 personnel assigned to the Pioneer Fire, including 12 engines, six water tenders, three Type 2A hand crews, 2two dozers, 2 heavy equipment bosses, and a grader.

On the Trestle Creek Complex, the five fires associated with the complex have burned about 3,455 acres since being reported following a July 9 lightning storm. The fires are at 0% contained.

Much of the growth reflects growth mostly a windstorm Friday, July 30 to Saturday, July 31, which caused the Trestle 6 Fire to burn around all the other fires in the complex, nullifying previous containment. The winds, which reached 25 mph, caused wind-driven fire growth to the southwest and spot fires up to three-fourths of a mile ahead of the fire, Kary Maddox, U.S. Forest Service public information officer, said earlier this week.

Crews began utilizing equipment Wednesday to open up Road 1082 between main fire and private residences in Trestle Creek area, Maddox said on InciWeb, an interagency fire tracking website.

Also Wednesday, crews began brushing and opening Trout Creek Road system on west side of Trestle Ridge to gain access to west side of the fire.

Crews also were continuing to scout for opportunities to open up old road systems to create access areas as well as direct and indirect lines to fight the TCC fires.

Along with the Sam Owen Fire Department, crews are implementing a structure protection plan on structures in the Trestle Creek area. Those efforts include deploying pumps, hose, and sprinkler systems to protect private residences.

In addition, the Idaho Department of Lands is continuing to coordinate with the Bonner County Sheriff's Office on evacuation status for residences in the area.

While there are no current evacuations in the vicinity of the Trestle Creek Complex fires, several areas are set to "ready" status. They include Rapid Lightning (from Wellington North), Wellington, Vandyke, Trapper Creek, Trapper Creek Spur, Stove, Box Canyon, High, and Rising Hawk Ridge roads, Dragon Drive, Moon Fire Road, Hidden Forest Way, Stellar Drive, Legacy Lane, Ice Creek Forest Lane, Early Breakfast Creek Road, Barbary Trail, Dads Garden Lane, Snowshoe Ridge Road, Laid Back Drive, and Cross Mountain, Holly Berry, Flume Creek, Little Flume Creek, Dunn Creek, and Out of the Woods roads.

Residents of residents of Slippery Slope Trail and Saddler Creek Road are at "set" status for pre-evacuation.

Fires in the complex are currently being managed by a Type 3 organization from the Sandpoint Ranger District.

On the Character Complex, an infrared flight is giving firefighters an updated look at the wildfires burning north of the Silver Valley.

Such flights were not possible in recent days due to cloud cover.

Comprised of the Deceitful and Prichard fires, the Character Complex has burned about 7,500 acres so far.

Some fire growth that appears new might not be, however.

“This is growth that happened about three days ago,” said Operations Section Chief Trainee Chris Johnson. “We just have a better look at it now.”

In anticipation of increased fire activity in the Cinnabar Creek drainage this week, crews have established sprinkler systems and wrapped power poles in the area. Bucket work is not possible over power lines, officials said.

Meanwhile, the neighboring Prichard fire remains 75% contained.

Firefighters are working to reduce vegetation and other fuels along the southwestern edge of the blaze, a process called mastication. This will further strengthen the containment line.

To the south, the fires that make up the Stateline Complex remain 0% contained.

The complex is burning on the St. Joe Ranger District of the Idaho Panhandle National Forests, to the south and west of the Idaho-Montana state line.

Tumbledown fire, the largest in the complex, has burned about 9,400 acres so far.

Fire managers plan to use heavy equipment to construct lines on the north, northwest, west and southwest flanks of the blaze, where most of the recent growth has occurred.

Near the town of Avery, a structure protection group is performing structural assessments and mitigation work.

Stage II fire restrictions remain in effect. For those wising to help, water and Gatorade would be of use to our firefighters. Donations at a local Idaho Department of Lands office or online at idl.idaho.gov/donate .