Sunset Fire remains active, evacuation orders in place
UPDATE: August 17, 25 at 10:30 a.m.
The Sunset Fire, which is northeast of Athol, has burned 2,780 acres and is still uncontrolled. The fire is being fought by 340 workers.
The region saw a little respite due to some precipitation during the past 24 hours, while troops delegated leadership duties to the Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 5.
Recently, a containment line along the southern flank of the wildfire was finished using dozers.
Along Lake Pend Oreille, hotshot workers are laying firelines in difficult terrain.
Boats are washing down hot flames near the lake’s edge, while aerial support is still dumping water and retardant on the fire.
Residents who reside in the following locations are still under “GO” evacuation orders:
Little Blacktail Road, Raven Road, Crosswhite Road, and east of 2268 Sunset Road. From Mirror Lake, diagonally down to USFS 630, encompassing Five Lakes Estates, Jupline Landing, the whole Ponderosa community, everything on Talache Road, and all side streets that feed to Talache Road, is USFS 630 off Blacktail Road (north of Blacktail), Butler Creek, and Butler Creek Spur.
Residents who reside in the following locations are still subject to “SET” evacuation notices:
Everything north of Talache Road in Sagle, as well as residences on Blacktail Road and a quarter of a mile north of Little Blacktail. Residents must to be ready to depart at any time.
Residents in the following locations are still under “READY” evacuation advisories:
Blacktail Road for the Bayview settlement in nearby Kootenai County and north of the mile.
*Please sign up for Bonner County Nixel alerts via SMS to get the most recent evacuation updates. Enter your zip code and send a text to 888777.
The full US Forest Service wildfire update is available here.
9:16 a.m. to 8/16/25 UPDATE:
In the last 24 hours, the Sunset Fire has almost doubled in size. 2,702 acres have been torched by the fire thus far.
As personnel continue their suppression operations, fire authorities are monitoring the direction of the wind as a front is expected to move into the area today.
Over the following few days, the fire may spread quickly due to strong outflow winds from the front.
In Northern Idaho, firefighters are still fighting the Sunset Fire northeast of Athol. The fire, which is posing a threat to residences and other buildings, was last estimated to be 1,830 acres on Friday.
Residents in the impacted areas are advised to evacuate right away because to the current “GO” evacuation orders.
According to officials, “all residents on Raven Road, Crosswhite Road, Little Blacktail Road, and east of 2268 Sunset Road are in evacuation areas.” From Mirror Lake, diagonally down to USFS 630, which includes Five Lakes Estates, Jupline Landing, the whole Ponderosa area, and everything south of Talache Road, is located off Blacktail Road (north of Blacktail), Butler Creek, and Butler Creek Spur.
‘SET’ or ‘READY’ evacuation orders are in effect for several neighborhoods in the vicinity of Blacktail Road.
According to an Inciweb update, workers assigned to the fire continue to prioritize public safety.
At the Cocolalla Bible Camp, officials have set up an evacuation center for people who have been displaced by the wildfire. In order to house displaced livestock, the Bonner County Fairgrounds are only occasionally open.
Additionally, a Temporary Flight Restriction order has been issued that prohibits the use of any aircraft, including drones, in the area of the fire.
A Complex Incident Management Team is scheduled to arrive tomorrow to support suppression efforts and coordinate people as the fire continues to spread.
For the time being, the public should stay away from the fire area.
Investigations are still ongoing to determine what caused the Sunset Fire.
