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This map of Caribou fire closures was released Sunday morning, Sept. 3, 2017.
The Caribou fire had grown to 13,767 acres, caused the full evacuation of West Kootenai and destroyed an “unknown number of structures” by Sunday morning, according to an incident fact sheet that states “the fire doubled in size with a four mile run northeast” on Saturday.
Officials say a red flag fire weather warning is in effect until midnight Sunday. It indicates “dry, hot weather, gusty southwest winds, (and) extreme fire behavior in advance of cold front (with) gusty northeast winds (to) follow (the) front passage,” the fact sheet states.
Also on Sunday, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office was expected to assess the scope and location of structure damage and to notify affected property owners.
“Heavy equipment and firefighters are working build firelines in the area for point protection of structures,” the fact sheet states. “Heavy equipment will work on the west and north sides of the fire to strengthen firelines in preparation for an expected cold front and winds shifting to the northeast overnight.”