We hope you’re all planning to attend the Open House for our new Welcome Shelter on Sunday August 14th between noon and 4 p.m. All are welcome to enjoy refreshments and see the building which includes a public area, restroom facilities and a kitchen. The Welcome Shelter was designed to be an area where visitors can relax and it can also be scheduled for local memorial events with proper notification.
Recently, 25 new memorial plaques have been displayed at the Priest Lake Memory Gardens. This brings a total of 225 plaques now displayed on the 36 screens along the pathways. Three benches (one more coming soon) are also in place. Six alcoves have been sold and one is complete. One trail section has been put in place thanks to a donating family.
If you haven’t visited the Priest Lake Memory Gardens recently, you’ll be pleased to see the tremendous progress made to make this site a place of serenity and remembrance of those who loved Priest Lake.
We’d also like to hear your input on how the area can be improved to meet the needs of the Priest Lake community.
Ron Hardin
Executive Director -
Priest Lake Memory Gardens
Location: Lions Creek Drainage, East of the Priest Lake State Park Lions Head Unit entrance, Priest Lake, Idaho
Incident Command: Type 3 North Idaho Incident Management Team, Mike McManus, I.C.
Estimated Size: 45 acres Containment: 25% Total Personnel: 95
Firefighters completed handline on the Lions Roar Fire and achieve 25% containment
(Priest Lake, Idaho- 8/13/22) Firefighters completed construction of handline around the Lions Roar Fire yesterday. Additionally, the perimeter has been plumbed- delivering water to the fire’s entire edge with crews achieving 25% containment. Fire managers were able to ground truth the fire’s edge with GPS resulting in higher precision and reduced size. The fire is mapped at 45 acres.
As predicted yesterday’s weather brought damaging winds to the fire area. Fire camp and the adjacent Idaho State Park lands experienced multiple trees either snapping off or blowing down from the root.
An Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) equipped with an infrared camera was used to locate and detect areas of heat in and around the fire this morning. This information will help fire managers and firefighting crews locate and extinguish hot spots near the handline and ensure mop up actions are successful. The UAS was also used to inspect the surrounding areas for spot fires.
Today’s objectives will be to continue mop up operations and expand containment. Difficult weather conditions with high wind gusts and low relative humidity are predicted for this afternoon. Fire managers will continue to monitor weather conditions and relocate personnel for safety reasons if necessary. Falling trees present a significant hazard to firefighters in areas of recent fire activity.
Motorists need to be vigilant to unexpected hazards and fire traffic on the East Shore Road - reduce speed, use caution on blind corners, and prepare for road debris. Large and oversize vehicles, especially towing trailers/boats need to be aware that fire equipment is wide, and the roadway may be very narrow in places with limited roadway stability.
Respect road closures- no public access past barricades. These closures are necessary for public and fire crew safety. Firefighter and public safety remain the number one priority for fire managers.
Lion Creek Road #42 and Lucky Creek Road #43 are currently closed for fire suppression activities until further notice.
Find all IDL fire updates at https://www.idl.idaho.gov/fire-management/fire-news-feed/
Cooperating Agencies: Idaho Dept. of Lands, USDA Forest Service, Bonner County Sheriff’s Office, Bonner County Emergency Management, Idaho State Parks and Recreation.
Diamond Watch Fire Special Update
8/11/2022
Idaho Panhandle National Forests, Priest Lake Ranger District Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8264/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/USFSIPNF Public Information Phone: (208) 557-8813 Location: 5.5 miles west of Nordman, ID in Pend Oreille County, WA Size: 341 acres Personnel: 34 Containment: 0% Incident Commander: ICT4 Hirst
Special Update: Suppression Operations & Closure Information
Current Status: The Diamond Watch Fire, detected on the evening of July 14th, was started by lightning and is visible from the Priest Lake area. The fire is located 5.5 miles due west of Nordman, ID, and is burning on a ridge to the east of Diamond Peak in Pend Oreille County, WA. Recent growth was mapped with an infrared flight and the fire is currently at 341 acres, most of the heat is showing on the south slope and the fire is highly visible from ID Highway 57 near Nordman ID. Suppression Operations: Soon after initial attack, it became evident that direct suppression was not a safe or effective option for this fire. Fire managers immediately began working on an indirect suppression strategy to confine and contain the Diamond Watch Fire. Using natural and man-made features that contributed to the greatest probability of success, crews and heavy equipment went to work to construct fireline. The previously discussed fuelbreak along Forest Service Rd 308 is the largest portion of containment line so far, but other line construction has occurred and is planned. A combination of tactics, including machine line, handline, sprinklers systems, and wet riparian areas will be used to contain the fire. Please refer to the August 11th Operations Map for a visual explanation of these containment lines. Although miles of containment line have been completed, the containment percentage for this fire cannot increase until the fire reaches those lines, and the lines hold. Closures: An area and road closure has been issued, effective today, for Forest Service Roads 311, 308 and 1362H, as well as the area in the vicinity of the Diamond Watch Fire. Petit Lake and its associated dispersed campsites are within the area closure. FSR 1362 remains open. This closure is for public safety due to heavy equipment operations and wildfire effects of the Diamond Watch Fire, and prohibits all methods of travel (foot, mechanized, motorized and stock) on the closed roads and area (see Closure Map). The best access to the Priest Lake area from the Colville National Forest will be through Newport, WA via US Highway 2 north and Priest River, ID via ID Highway 57 north. There are NO evacuations currently in place. However, when living in fire prone areas it is recommended that all area residents have an evacuation plan in place including having all important documents, pictures, prescriptions, and pets gathered up and easily transportable. Residents of Bonner County, ID or Pend Oreille, WA can visit https://www.nixle.com or text home zip code to 888777 to sign up for emergency alerts.
