By Andrew O’Neel
Emergency Manager/Public Information Officer
On Monday morning the Clover Fire in Boundary County was estimated at 20 acres, is about 25-percent contained, and has approximately 80 personnel working on it. Eleven engines and several water tenders are assigned to the fire, and firefighters today are focused on maintaining control within the established fire line, continuing to build direct and indirect hand lines, and completing a hose lay around the fire perimeter. Heavy equipment operators will be working to help suppress the burning logs. Winds are expected to be gusty and erratic today with a wind shift occurring in the afternoon to evening from the north/northeast.
“Go” Level evacuation is still in place for Clover Lane residents due to their proximity to the fire. Residents north of Clover Lane up to Sandy Ridge Road between Hwy 95 and Deep Creek Loop are in “Set” evacuation status and should still be prepared to evacuate if conditions change. Residents north of Sandy Ridge Road for 1 mile are in “Ready” status and should monitor local media and emergency alerts for changes in status. The evacuation shelter at the county fairgrounds has been closed due to the lifting of evacuations.
Power is back on for most Northern Lights customers, however a few customers in the immediate vicinity of the fire area are still without power.
All roads are open except for Clover Lane, however, the public is asked to avoid the area of Deep Creek Loop between Schoolhouse Road and Highland Flats Road due to heavy firefighting traffic in the area.
No homes have been burned in the fire; however, the log yard, several outbuildings, vehicles, and equipment have reportedly been lost due to the fire.
The cause of the fire has yet to be released by the State Fire Marshal’s Office investigators.
A massive initial air response yesterday made significant progress in stopping the advance of the fire and protecting threatened structures. The air assets employed included two helicopters (Type-1, Type-3), three Type-4 fixed wing scooper airplanes, and six Large Aerial Tanker airplanes. Crews on the ground were able to take advantage of the air drops to safely make good progress creating control lines.
The initial response included personnel from many local, state, and federal agencies and community cooperators involved in fire suppression, structure protection, evacuation operations, and support to the overall effort, including:
- South Boundary Fire District
- Northside Fire District (Bonner County)
- Paradise Valley Fire District
- Bonners Ferry City Fire Department
- North Bench Fire Association
- Curley Creek Volunteer Fire Department
- Hall Mountain Volunteer Fire Department
- Boundary County Sheriff’s Office
- Boundary County Emergency Management
- Boundary County Chaplains Corps
- Boundary Ambulance
- Boundary Search & Dive Rescue Team
- Idaho Department of Lands
- Idaho Department of Transportation
- Idaho State Police
- Idaho State Fire Marshal’s Office
- Montana Dept of Natural Resources
- Arkansas Forest Service
- Inland Forest Management
- Limitless Church Boundary County
- United States Forest Service
- Northern Lights, Inc.
- Union Pacific Railroad
- Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad
- American Red Cross
Firefighters would like to thank the Limitless Church, Super One, and the Grocery Outlet in Bonners Ferry and the Boundary County Chaplain Corps for providing refreshments and dinner on Sunday night. Thanks also to volunteers from the American Red Cross who were heading towards the county fairgrounds last night to open the evacuation shelter, which due to firefighters’ efforts turned out not to be needed.
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