Little Pine Fire focuses on safety, efficiency
A photo of the recent Little Pine Fire near Priest River.
(File photo/IDAHO DEPARTMENT OF LANDS)
An aerial view of the incident command center for the Little Pine Fire near Priest River.
Firefighters take a hard earned break in the shade on the Little Pine Fire this weekend. Water and pacing are essential with the temperatures over the weekend and Monday reaching 100-plus degrees on the hill.
A map showing the perimeter and location of the Little Pine Fire near Priest River.
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PRIEST RIVER — As containment of the Little Pine Fire reached over 65%, Idaho Department of Lands officials reported a new fire had been spotted nearby.
Located about a half-mile west of the Little Pine Fire incident command area, the Bodie Fire was reported about 5:30 p.m. Monday but was quickly contained, according to IDL officials in a Facebook post.
"Fire was contained and controlled at 8:28 this evening," officials said. "Thank you to all involved in the aggressive and successful initial attack."
On the Little Pine Fire, the focus is on safety and efficiency as temperatures have soared into the triple digits.
"[I]n the wee hours of the morning, fire managers employed one of the Idaho Department of Lands unmanned aerial systems with infrared cameras to fly over the entirety of the fire, mapping heat signatures," IDL officials said Monday morning.
That effort allowed the IDL fire crews to pinpoint their attack and help keep firefighters safe.
"This flight data was crucial in planning firefighting efforts for the day because it allowed for targeted actions," IDL officials said. "With the flight data, firefighters could focus efforts to the areas of most concern, increasing both safety and efficiency."
Crews spent much of Monday facing extreme heat, requiring increased water intake and frequent shade breaks when possible.
"Firefighting efforts will continue mopping up toward the interior of the fire with focusing on heavy fuel concentrations in the unburned areas of the fire," officials said.
As control objective are met, crews are being released from the fire to be ready and available for re-assignment to emerging incidents.
The Little Pine Fire has burned 190. While the acreage has increased slightly, this is not due to fire growth, IDL officials said. Instead, the adjustments are due to more detailed mapping.
"In this case the UAS data proved invaluable and allowed fire managers to see the fire perimeter more accurately than could be seen with the naked eye," officials said in the press release.
The fire is burning 7 miles north of Priest River in Pine Creek, 1 mile south of Blue Lake in Bonner County, Idaho. It was reported Tuesday, June 22 at 3 p.m. Pacific Time.
