Lightning ignites blaze on Round Mountain

BONNERS FERRY — The strong thunderstorms that moved through Boundary County last week left their mark when a lightning strike ignited a large larch snag on the northwest side of Round Mountain. The smoke was reported by a firefighter around 8 p.m. on Friday, June 22.

South Boundary Fire was called out, with North Bench Fire and Paradise Valley Fire also called for mutual aid. They were put on standby while South Boundary proceeded on foot, trying to locate the fire in the remote mountainside.

“It was a very pretty area,” said South Boundary Assistant Fire Chief Wayne Wilkerson. “Very remote and rugged; very steep.”

They navigated the tough, steep terrain in the waning light for about 20-30 minutes, traveling about 1,000 feet before finding the dead tree fully engulfed in flames. At that point, they decided it would be more dangerous to try and cut the tree down in the dark. The surrounding area was extremely wet from the heavy rains that accompanied the storm.

The firefighters blazed a trail, clearing branches and leaving markers for Idaho Department of Lands, which returned the following morning to extinguish the burning tree. By Sunday, the fire was not fully out, and South Boundary was brought in again. This time they were able to get a firetruck above the fire and provide water to finish the job.

“They always step up. The more eyes the better,” said Wilkerson about the volunteers throughout the different agencies involved. “Everybody’s performance was great. My heart goes out to all the volunteers.”

Note: The fire danger has been raised from Low to Moderate.