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This photograph of the Caribou fire was taken Saturday afternoon. Its size was estimated at 6,781 acres Saturday afternoon. (Photo by Amy Currie Hughes)
UPDATE 9:05 p.m.: All areas in the West Kootenai north of Tooley Lake are now under mandatory evacuation, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page reported shortly after 9 p.m. Saturday. Areas south of Tooley Lake remain under pre-evacuation notice, the post states.
UPDATE 6:29 p.m.: Story was updated to include two new evacuation areas and a new location for the community meeting.
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday afternoon ordered evacuations of the West Kootenai North, West Kootenai South, Spring Creek and Dodge Creek protection zones in the community of West Kootenai as a result of the Caribou fire.
The announcement was posted about 5:20 p.m. to a Facebook page about the Gibralter and Caribou fires.
“Residents are asked to leave immediately in an orderly manner,” the post states, adding that sheriff’s deputies are notifying affected residents.
The American Red Cross is providing emergency services at the Church of God at 1295 2nd Ave. in Eureka, the post states.
“All evacuees are welcome at the shelter, and all Red Cross services are free,” states an American Red Cross news release.
According to a Saturday evening Forest Service news release, the size of the Caribou Fire is estimated at 6,781 acres.
A community meeting about the fire will be held 7:30 p.m. at the Fire Hall in West Kooenai, the news release states.