Five large wildfires burn at the same time in North Idaho

NORTH IDAHO -- Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) and their partners are responding to multiple fires in northern Idaho, and high winds are creating conditions for rapid fire growth.

The five fires include two in Clearwater County, the Clover fire and MM49 Fire that have been combined into the Sunnyside Complex. The Clover Fire is burning west of Orofino and is over 500 acres. Structures are threatened and some structures have burned. The fire started early Monday afternoon. It is west of the Whitetail Loop Fire which was contained Saturday. It is about four to five miles long.

Road closures in that area include: Sunnyside Bench and Cavendish Highway. There are numerous smaller roads that lead off those two major roads, those are also closed. Clearwater County Sheriff's Office has been doing evacuations in the area.

The MM 49 fire is burning on south of the Clearwater River off U.S. Highway 12. The highway is closed at mile marker 49 about two miles from Greer. The fire is at about 100 acres, according to IDL. Evacuation notifications are also being made in the nearby areas.

A Type 2 Incident Management Team has been ordered for the Sunnyside Complex.

Earlier in the day, there was a wildfire at Grumpy Old Man Ln. near the Ranchettes and off what is now Wells Bench Rd. (It was Lower Wells Bench Rd.) A resident of the area reported it was contained.

Other North Idaho fires

Hunter 2 Fire: The fire is 1/2-mile northeast of Blanchard near the junction of Hunter Road and Highway 41. The fire has grown to approximately 500 acres and has crossed Highway 41 to the Stoneridge Golf Course area. Two large air tankers are helping to fight the fire as conditions allow.

Evacuations are being handled by the Bonner County Sheriff's Office and are in place for the area of Blanchard Elk Road and Stone Road. Residents are being asked to prepare to evacuate the area. Additional resources have been ordered, including a Type 3 Incident Management Team.

Dusty Fire: Evacuations remain in place for the Dusty Fire at Dusty Lane subdivision south of the town of Emida. The fire is currently 15 acres with heavy equipment on the scene. Air resources will be used when the weather allows.

Cliff Fire: Fire burning at Heyburn State Park. Size is 22 acres. Fire crews have succeeded in putting a dozer line around the fire. The Coeur d'Alene Tribe has closed the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes from the Plummer trailhead to the Heyburn State Park trailhead. The bike path inside the park is closed as well. People are asked to stay away from the area.

In addition to the challenges posed by high winds causing extreme fire behavior, resources are limited because of the high demand for resources nationally. Also, aircraft use is limited in firefighting efforts during such windy conditions.

Evacuations: Local sheriff's offices handle evacuations. Please contact the local sheriff for the latest. IDL will provide evacuation information as it becomes available.

Additional updates will be posted to the Idaho Department of Lands Fire Information page at https://www.facebook.com/IDLFireInfo/.