Sunset Fire – Current as of 9:43 AM PT on 8/18/2025
Idaho Department of Lands sent this bulletin at 08/18/2025 10:45 AM MDTHaving trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.
Northern Rockies Team 5 will host a Community Fire Information meeting tonight at 6:00 p.m. at the North Summit Church, 201 North Division Avenue in Sandpoint. Follow the signs to the south building.
*** Today's map is delayed and will be posted on the Inciweb page and the IDL social media sites as soon as we receive it.
SUNSET FIRE Morning Update - August 18, 2025
Northern Rockies Team 5, Incident Commander Joe Sampson
Location: On the western slope of Lake Pend Oreille, northeast of Athol, ID.
State Date: 8/13/2025
Cause: Under investigation
Size: 3,208 acres
Containment: 0%
Total Personnel: 409
Water scoopers will continue to draw water from Lake Pend Oreille. Boaters: please stay out of the flight path of these planes to minimize disruptions to firefighting efforts.
The acreage is updated this morning based on information from an overnight infrared (IR) flight.
CURRENT STATUS
Hose lays along the southern flank are in place to supply water for mop-up operations to address areas of residual heat. Crews will continue to improve and strengthen these containment lines.
Hotshot crews and type 2 initial attack crews will work to establish firelines in the steep terrain along the west flank, while hotshot crews and equipment will work to establish firelines on the north flank near Blacktail Mountain and south of Talache. Aerial
resources are assisting all firefighting efforts, including water and retardant drops to support crews on the ground. Structure protection teams will be assessing properties along Talache Road and Butler Creek, implementing structure protection measures where
needed. From the lakeshore, watercraft are being used to supply water to cool active flames.
WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR
Monday will be cloudy with some scattered showers through mid-day, with an isolated thunderstorm possible. Measurable amounts of rain will be limited, and winds may become erratic. Clouds will decrease in the afternoon and southwesterly winds will gust up to
15 to 20 mph. A southwest flow across the Northern Rockies will maintain a gradual warming trend across the region through the next several days. Drier conditions and lower relative humidity are expected by Thursday and through the weekend.
Creeping, smoldering and torching fire behavior will continue today; however, continued drying of fuels will result in increased potential for fire activity. Torching is possible and heavy fuels will continue to burn.
EVACUATIONS, RESTRICTIONS, CLOSURES
Evacuation orders are in effect.
GO status, meaning residents should leave immediately. All residents on Raven Road, Crosswhite Road, Little Blacktail Road, and east of 2268 Sunset Road. USFS 630 off Blacktail Road (north of Blacktail), Butler Creek and Butler Creek Spur, from Mirror Lake,
diagonal down to USFS 630, including Five Lakes Estates, Jupline Landing, the entire Ponderosa neighborhood and everything on Talache Rd. and all side streets feeding to Talache Rd.
SET notices are in effect for homes on Blacktail Road a quarter of a mile north of Little Blacktail and everything north of Talache Road in Sagle. Residents should be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice.
READY advisories remain for all residents on Blacktail Road north of the ¼ mile and for the community of Bayview in neighboring Kootenai County.
To receive the latest evacuation updates please sign up for Bonner County Nixel alerts via text. Text 888777 and enter your zip code.
An evacuation center has been opened at the Cocolalla Bible Camp to assist displaced residents. The Bonner County Fairgrounds are available to shelter evacuated livestock on a limited basis.
Cooperating agencies include Idaho Department of Lands, USDA Forest Service, Bonner County Sheriff’s Office, and multiple local rural and county fire departments and EMS.
Area closures are in effect on the Idaho Panhandle National Forests along the western shoreline of Lake Pend Oreille, from Camp Bay to Three Sisters Horizontal Control Station. The closure extends west to Three Sisters Creek then proceeds north to just south
of National Forest Service Road (NFSR) 230. It then follows a stepped northeast path to Hickman Creek continuing east to the Forest Boundary within and then heads north to Sagle Road. From Sagle Road, the boundary extends east back to Camp Bay.
More information on Idaho Panhandle National Forests area closures can be found at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r01/idahopanhandle/alerts
A Temporary flight restriction (TFR) is in place that restricts all aircraft (including drones) from operating in the fire area without permission.