Crews make gains on Consalus Fire

SANDPOINT — Crews made significant gains on the Consalus Fire, doubling containment to 20%, fire officials said Friday.

Containment is expected to grow even more in the coming days, Northern Rockies Type 3 incident management team officials said.

However, with weather expected to be hot and dry for the next few days, IMT officials said increased fire activity and smoke could occur in the fire's interior.

"Where the firelines are not yet considered contained, there are still chances of the fire getting over the lines," officials said Friday. Therefore, fire managers are assessing where additional contingency lines may be constructed in case the fire gets over the primary lines."

Crews have spent the past few days improving contingency lines and patrolling the direct fire line where it is safe to do so, officials said.

Quick action by fire crews caught a fire that spotted over the contingency line on the southeast perimeter. Helicopters dropped water on the fire, cooling it enough for a Flathead Interagency Hotshot Crew to get a line around the fire. As a result, the fire was kept to around a quarter acre, officials said.

Crews will continue to monitor the spot fire as well as a spot fire that occurred Tuesday near the north perimeter.

Reported June 30, the Consalus Fire has burned 467 acres on the Priest Lake Ranger District. The fire is located 10 miles west of Coolin, Idaho, in Pend Oreille County, Wash. There are 251 fire personnel assigned to the fire, as well as a helicopter and a drone crew, six hand crews, a district fire unit, five engines, four faller modules, six water tenders, and an ambulance crew assigned to the fire as well as a heavy equipment task force. Firefighting efforts are being managed by the Northern Rockies Type 3 Incident Management Team, led by John Heyn.

Bee Top Fire

The Bee Top Fire was placed in "patrol status" on Tuesday, meaning that crews will check on the fire on a regular basis but will not need to build any additional containment lines.

No additional information has been released on the fire.

Reported July 1, the lightning-sparked fire has burned an estimated 45 acres as of Tuesday. Management of the fire was assumed by the Sandpoint Ranger District early Wednesday morning.

Road and trail closures

• Bee Top Fire

There are no closures listed.

• Consalus Fire

Several road closures went into effect at midnight Tuesday. Forest Service Road 1108 is closed from the junction with FSR 333 to the junction with FSR 659. FSR 1094 will remain open for the first 4.5 miles from the junction with FSR 312, however, the remainder will be closed to the junction with FSR 1108. FSR 659 is closed from the junction with FSR 312 to the junction with FSR 659B; and FSR 333 from the junction with FSR 2730 to its end.

Those accessing the Crystal Mine area off FSR 659 may need to pull over to allow heavy equipment and fire crews to access the area.

There is a temporary flight restriction over the fire area. Flying civilian drones is prohibited and could ground firefighting crews. If you fly, they can’t.

Information: inciweb.nwcg.gov