Crews assessing post-fire needs

While a minor storm was expected to push through the area Monday and increase fire activity, no significant movement is expected. The Kootenai River Complex fires, which were started by lightning in mid-August, has burned an estimated 23,131 acres. There are 67 fire personnel assigned to the fire. With the reduced activity and the lower threat, BFRD officials said a Burned Area Emergency Response team is set to start assessing the burned area to determine post-fire recovery needs. BAER teams look at water and soil impacts, erosion potential, vegetation issues, archaeology, and more, to decide what needs to be done to help the forests recover.