At 4:20 PM on Thursday, June 4, 2009, the Timberlake Fire Protection District was dispatched to a "smoke check" in Cape Horn Estates. A boater in Lake Pend Oreille called 9-1-1 to report what he suspected to be an out of control brush fire. We respond to a lot of "smoke checks" throughout the year, but this one turned out to be a "working brush fire." Idaho Department of Lands was requested immediately along with a helicopter due to the terrain. The helicopter was not available, but will begin its contract on July 1 along with the Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs) based out of Coeur d'Alene.
The fire was burning approximately 400 feet north of Glacier Road in the National Forest Service land. The initial size was 300 feet long by 60 feet deep. The terrain was extremely steep and rocky with the fire burning at the base of cliffs. The fire eventually made it to the top of the cliffs and burned about 1 acre of grass and light brush. Luckily, we were able to contain the fire to 2 acres and get hose lines around the perimeter. We were also fortunate that the winds were calm since they had been blowing at 5-10 miles per hour for the past few days.
Timberlake Fire responded with 2 brush trucks, one tender, one engine, and one chief. The Timberlake Fire Boat was also deployed on the lake to provide us with a better perspective of the scene and alert for any safety issues. Northern Lakes Fire Protection District assisted with a brush truck and Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) sent 9 personnel with 2 engines. Once the fire was contained, the scene was turned over to IDL and a Timberlake Brush truck remained on scene for support. Since it was not safe to continue mopping up after dark, IDL and Timberlake Fire will be back in the morning to check on the fire and ensure it is completely out. A second smaller fire was also burning 150 feet below the main fire.
The fire is deemed suspicious at this time. For more information contact Fire Chief Jack Krill at chief@timberlakefire.com or 208-683-3333.
Photos may be used for publication with credit given to the Timberlake Fire Protection District.
