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After Monday's storm put a halt to their efforts, helicopter crews dropping water on the Bee Top Fire got back to work Tuesday. The cold front which brought strong winds, rain and lightning to the region kept the fire crews in the lower elevations, Idaho Panhandle National Forest officials said.
Fire crews are making strides to contain the Bee Top Fire located 5 miles northeast of town. Crews continue to build an indirect fireline adjacent to the Lightning Creek river bottom and to the ridge to the southwestern portion of the fire. In addition, the Boise Interagency Hot Shot Crew removed hazard tree and built an indirect fireline to a ridge southwest of the fire, moving from the river bottom to a temporary camp midway up the slope.
The Bee Top Fire, located in the Lightning Creek drainage, inched higher Friday, Idaho Panhandle National Forests officials said. In addition, an initial attack engine crew was on hand and responded to a new fire start that occurred to the north of the fire, officials said in a Friday update.
A Northern Rockies incident management team has taken command of the Bee Top Fire. The lightning-caused fire was reported Saturday, July 1; it has burned 32 acres and is located about 5 miles northeast of Clark Fork in the Lightning Creek drainage. There are 61 fire crews assigned to the fire.
Wildfire activity increased over the weekend across the Idaho Panhandle National Forests. Above-average temperatures and below-normal precipitation in the last two months have created unseasonably dry fuel conditions and active fire behavior.