Current News Coverage
How the Clearwater Complex became Idaho’s costliest wildfire of 2015; Homes destroyed, communities evacuated, lessons learned under fire
Idaho County Free Press, 8-27-25
KAMIAH — “If you’re on Beaverslide, you should really be getting out.”
Eric and Erica Yarbrough heard the warning while eating lunch in downtown Kamiah that Friday, Aug. 14, 2015. Three days prior, the couple was aware of flames moving across a hillside near their home, but there was no immediate danger. Even that Friday, their home was not on the level 2 evacuation list, but the community conversation spoke otherwise.
In a panic, the couple raced to their home — flames on either side of the roadway, their neighbor’s home burned, and fire burned in their yard. According to a 2015 Idaho County Free Press story, they gathered their animals — dogs, a kitten and goats — and fled. Upon returning, their home of two years — which they had built themselves — was burned to the ground.
The Clearwater Complex was now in full swing.
Early season fires were a harbinger of the brutal summer of 2015. At the start of August, the fire risk surged, and with one lightning storm, Kamiah became the state’s crisis focal point as multiple blazes ripped through draws and up hillsides in the Clearwater Valley.
READ MORE
Teton County, Idaho, commissioners split on Tetonia land sale
Jackson Hole News & Guide, 8-27-25
Teton County, Idaho, commissioners failed to come to a consensus on Monday about whether to oppose the sale of a state trust land parcel in Tetonia.
The Idaho Board of Land Commissioners voted last month to sell the 160-acre parcel, currently leased for grazing by a multi-generational ranching family, following interest in a sale from a “local landowner” thought to be billionaire Thomas Tull. The 160-acre parcel, known as Driggs 160, would be sold through an open auction.
Commissioner Dan Powers drafted a letter prior to the Monday meeting expressing “strong opposition” to the sale, citing concern about the loss of agricultural land and public access to the parcel. But commissioners Ron James and Brad Wolfe were not entirely on board.
“For me, I’m in a quandary,” Wolfe said, adding that he was torn between the community’s opposition and his own belief that it’s the land board’s right to decide what to do with their parcel.
READ MORE
Idaho Business Review, 8-26-25
In a recent auction, five properties sold while three didn’t receive any bids.
At a Glance:
- 5 Priest Lake properties sold for $7.9 million total
- Each winning bid received only one offer
- 4 of 5 lots were purchased by current leaseholders
- 3 Coolin-area lots received no bids
The auction was held by the Idaho Department of Lands on Aug. 23, selling the endowment-owned lots in Priest Lake for a total of $7.9 million for all five. According to the department, each property only received one bid.
Similar to an auction held in July for properties on Payette Lake, three lots received no bids.
READ MORE
Idaho Department of Lands Auctions Priest Lake Lots for $7,901,000
KOZE, 8-26-25
The Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) sold five endowment-owned lots at Priest Lake for deeded ownership during a public auction. Three additional properties received no bids and did not sell.
The public auction generated $7,901,000. Each of the five properties sold had only one bid.
All leased properties auctioned have homes on them. The land is held in trust by IDL for State Public Schools beneficiaries, but the cabins and other improvements on the land are owned by the leaseholders as personal property.
One of the properties that sold was an unleased lot that also has a home on it.
READ MORE
MCGRANE: How Idaho’s Land Just Broke a Record for Schools
Gem State Chronicle, 8-25-25
Idaho’s Hidden Treasure: How State Lands Fund Our Schools
Idaho earned the nickname “Gem State” for good reason.Its treasures are not only in Idaho’s star garnets, fertile farmland, and scenic landscapes but also in our state endowment lands. As students trade their sunscreen for backpacks this fall, they’re returning to schools partly funded by Idaho’s natural resources.
As your Secretary of State, I have the privilege of serving on Idaho’s Land Board alongside Governor Little, State Controller Woolf, Attorney General Labrador, and Superintendent of Public Instruction Critchfield. Together, we oversee a system that makes me proud to be an Idahoan: nearly 2.5 million acres of endowment lands that work around the clock to support our public schools and universities.
READ MORE
Idaho Department of Lands Auctions Priest Lake Lots for $7,901,000
Big Country News, 8-25-25
BOISE - The Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) sold five endowment-owned lots at Priest Lake for deeded ownership during a public auction. Three additional properties received no bids and did not sell.
The public auction generated $7,901,000. Each of the five properties sold had only one bid.
All leased properties auctioned today have homes on them. The land is held in trust by IDL for State Public Schools beneficiaries, but the cabins and other improvements on the land are owned by the leaseholders as personal property.
One of the properties that sold was an unleased lot that also has a home on it.
READ MORE
Idaho Department of Lands auctions off 5 Priest Lake lots for nearly $8M
KREM, 8-25-25
PRIEST LAKE, Idaho — The Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) announced on Monday that it has sold five endowment-owned lots at Priest Lake during a public auction for nearly $8 million.
IDL says the land is held in trust by IDL for State Public Schools beneficiaries, but the cabins and other improvements on the land are owned by the leaseholders as personal property.
The public auction on Saturday generated $7,901,000. Each of the five properties sold had only one bid, and three additional properties received no bids and did not sell.
Current leaseholders purchased four of the five sold lots, and one was won by a non-lessee bidder. The winning non-lessee bidders will pay the amount bid for the land and the appraised value of the personal property, which is also owned by the endowment.
READ MORE
State board votes unanimously to auction off rural landowners' grazing parcel: 'We're getting pushed out'
The Cool Down, 8-24-25
Big money is displacing ranchers in Idaho.
According to Jackson Hole News&Guide, Nick Beard's family has been leasing state land for cattle grazing since 1992 and working the area for five generations.
However, state commissioners have unanimously decided to put the leased land up for auction to maximize revenue for its charitable institutions fund. Should the sale go through, Beard will need to downsize operations and truck his cattle to other grazing areas.
One of the potential winners of this auction is billionaire Thomas Tull, who already owns neighboring parcels and had previously approached the Beards about acquiring their land.
READ MORE
Oakley to serve as Idaho’s ‘Capital for a Day’ with Gov. Little, state officials
Idaho Capital Sun, 8-22-25
The south central Idaho city of Oakley will serve as the host of Idaho’s next “Capital for a Day” event on Thursday.
Capital for a Day events feature Gov. Brad Little and many of the state’s agency directors traveling to smaller communities throughout Idaho. During the events, the governor and agency heads discuss state issues and programs and conduct an open forum for local residents to ask questions or make suggestions.
“It is an honor to bring my next Capital for a Day to Oakley,” Little said in a written statement. “I look forward to sharing this tradition with the good people of Cassia County so we can discuss what’s on their minds when it comes to good government and how we can better serve them.”
READ MORE
Wildfire Related News
North Idaho’s Sunset Fire 66% Contained; Evacuation Orders Lifted
Dailyfly, 8-28-25
Sunset, Lightning Creek fires increase containment
Sandpoint Reader, 8-28-25
Despite its swift and heavy growth after starting northeast of Athol on Aug. 13, the 3,230-acre Sunset fire was 52% contained as of Aug. 27, with full containment estimated on Sept. 20.
More than 600 personnel were on the fire, which spread northeast from its apparent ignition site to the western shore of Lake Pend Oreille, burning in steep timber northward toward Talache and triggering widespread evacuation orders.
READ MORE
Fire crews begin pulling hoses and sprinklers from large wildfire burning near Athol as containment grows
KXLY, 8-27-25
ATHOL, Idaho -- Firefighters are increasingly gaining control of the wildfire burning northeast of Athol on Wednesday evening, according to Idaho Department of Lands.
As of 9 p.m. on August 27, the 3,230-acre wildfire burning on the western slope of Lake Pend Oreille, also known as the 'Sunset Fire,' is currently 66% contained, up from 52% contained on Tuesday evening.
IDL said crews secured, mopped-up and held firelines along the entire fire perimeter on Wednesday.
They also removed pumps, hoses and sprinklers from the western flank of the fire where they were no longer needed.
READ MORE
Crews continue mop-up efforts as Sunset Fire reaches 66% containment
Fox28, 8-27-25
According to the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL), the Sunset Fire has been 66% contained.
Fire crews worked throughout Wednesday securing fire lines around the entire perimeter of the fire, and continued mop-up operations.
250 structural assessments were completed during the past few days, IDL reported, as equipment was hauled by helicopters out of the burn area.
READ MORE
Idaho nonprofit supporting firefighters as they battle Sunset Fire near Athol
KREM 2, 8-27-25
ATHOL, Idaho — The Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) reports the Sunset Fire burning near Athol is about 52% contained as of Wednesday afternoon, and as firefighters battle the flames on the front lines, the local community is working just as hard behind the scenes.
A growing community group based in Athol is rallying around the Selkirk Fire & Rescue firefighters as the Sunset fire pushes North Idaho into a time of crisis.
Selkirk Fire Chief Jeff Armstrong says when the flames broke out, his crew and several other fire teams needed supplies like food and water, and they needed them fast.
There was no initial aid from the state during the first few days of the Sunset Fire.
READ MORE
Sunset Fire reaches 32% containment as evacuation orders lifted
Bonner County Daily Bee, 8-26-25
SANDPOINT — Firefighters have made swift and significant gains on the Sunset Fire in recent days, bringing containment to 32% and completing a direct handline around the fire's perimeter.
The fire, first reported Aug. 13, has burned 3,230 acres. There are 670 personnel assigned to the fire.
And, as importantly, "Go" evacuation orders were lifted and residents in southern Bonner County were told they could now go home. Residents in the Talache area were downgraded to "Set" status. “Go” status is the final stage of the Ready-Set-Go evacuation protocol. “Ready” means residents should have an evacuation plan. “Set” means they should begin implementing that plan.
READ MORE
Containment grows for large wildfire burning near Athol
KXLY, 8-26-25
ATHOL, Idaho -- Crews are continuing to make good progress on the over 3,000-acre wildfire burning near Athol on Tuesday evening, according to Idaho Department of Lands.
According to IDL, the 3,230-acre wildfire, also known as the 'Sunset Fire,' burning northeast of Athol on the western slope of Lake Pend Oreille, is currently 52% contained.
All previous Level 3 (GO NOW) evacuations have been lifted by Bonner County Sheriff's Office. Some roads in Talache are currently under Level 2 (GET SET) evacuations. Click here for the most up-to-date evacuation information.
READ MORE
Firefighters Continue to Gain Ground on Wildfire North of Coeur d’Alene
DailyFly, 8-25-25
COEUR D’ALENE, ID – The Sunset Fire, burning on the western slope of Lake Pend Oreille about 25 miles north of Coeur d’Alene, has reached 3,230 acres and is 42 percent contained, according to the latest update from fire officials.
The fire, which started on August 13, remains under investigation. Northern Rockies Team 5, under Incident Commander Joe Sampson, reported 643 personnel assigned to suppression efforts.
The Bonner County Sheriff’s Office has lifted all “GO” evacuation levels for the Sunset Fire. Some roads in Talache and access to Talache remain in “SET” status. Details are available on InciWeb. Maiden Rock Campground on the western shore of Lake Pend Oreille is closed until further notice.
READ MORE
Crews make progress on Idaho’s Sunset Fire
Capital Press, 8-25-25
The Sunset Fire in the northern Idaho panhandle stood at 3,230 acres and 32% contained as of mid-morning Aug. 25.
About 670 people are working on the fire, which started Aug. 13 on the western slope of Lake Pend Oreille, northeast of Athol. The cause remains under investigation.
“Our crews are making excellent progress out there strengthening and securing fire lines and keeping the communities safe,” Christine Schuldheisz, a Sunset Fire information officer, said Aug. 25.
READ MORE
Sunset Fire
Posted August 28, 2025
SHARE THIS POST NOW ON FACEBOOK
Sunset Fire Evening Update Aug. 28 #sunsetfire2025
Size: 3,230 acres
Containment: 75%
 This will be the final Sunset Fire Evening Update. Morning updates will continue.
 Northern Rockies Team 5 is working with the North Idaho type 3 team to ensure a smooth transition before handing over command Saturday evening.
 Crews secured and mopped up firelines along the entire fire perimeter. On the western and northern flanks, crews continued to remove pumps, hoselays, and sprinklers…
See more
|
