Agencies fight several small fires in county

A thunderstorm came through Sanders County late last week, with lightning sparking small fires throughout the county.

In the Hot Springs a fire in Garden Creek had burned about two acres as of Tuesday, with a 10-person crew in that area. Two other small fires were being managed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).

Near Thompson Falls, a fire in the Cherry Creek area was reported early Sunday morning. The fire, called the Lynx Fire, was held to about one acre by firefighters. A fire in the Buffalo Bill area was listed at less than an acre, and two fires discovered last week in the Big Hole Peak area were contained quickly.

The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes also had 10 new fire starts in the past week, with six caused by lightning and four human-caused.

Cabinet Ranger District, part of the Kootenai National Forest, responded to a small fire in Little Beaver Creek area that was controlled to one-tenth of an acre. The Kootenai National Forest has issued its first fire restrictions for the 2018 season. As of midnight, last Friday, Stage 1 restrictions were set in place.

Under these restrictions, all campfires must be built, maintained and attended in developed or improved recreation sites. Liquid petroleum or propane gas fueled equipment are allowed in areas cleared of all flammable materials within three feet of the flame source. Smoking is limited to developed recreation sites, inside vehicles and in barren areas cleared of any flammable materials in a three-foot diameter.

Kootenai Forest Service representatives stated, "Fire season is here, and it could be a prolonged one. Temperatures will continue to be hot and dry, with little to no moisture over the coming days."

The Lolo National Forest has not issued any fire restrictions at time of print but continues to assess the situation.

In an effort to keep the public updated, local agencies created the Sanders County Wildland Fire Information page on Facebook. According to officials, "the intent of this page is to provide accurate, timely information to the public regarding wildland fire or prescribed fire activity on federal, state and tribal protected lands in Sanders County." The page will be continually updated at the fire season continues, and will also include information on fire safety and prevention.

The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) issued suggestions for campfires, including keeping fires small. "Large, 3-foot or higher bonfires are not appropriate or practical in the forest," according to http://www.fs.usda.gov. Also, USFS recommends drowning a fire and extinguishing it to the point that embers are cool to the touch. For current fire restriction information visit http://www.firerestrictions.us.