Wildfires continue to burn across Northern Idaho, taxing local resources and requiring assistance from all over the region.

“Everybody is short on resources because there are so many fires across the U.S.,” said Shoshana Cooper, Fire Information Officer for the North Idaho Joint Fire Center. Yesterday there were 71 fires burning in Northern Idaho, and an extensive amount of personnel are working to combat them.

“We’re still trying to add up fires,” said Cooper. “We’re expecting more this weekend, but weather forecasts are not conducive to estimates.”

The severity and number of these fires is far above average, said Cooper, with 1926 being the last time the situation was so extreme.

Many of the fires are burning in remote wilderness areas, and priority for firefighting resources is being given to more densely populated areas where safety is more of a concern, Cooper said.

The Parker Ridge Fire, at 6,139 acres, is the largest individual fire in Northern Idaho and is being managed by a crew of 117 firefighters, Cooper said. They are using helicopters for water bucket drops.

The Clearwater Complex, the largest group of fires, is covering 64,150 acres and being manned by 18 crews consisting of 859 personnel, said Public Information Officer Elizabeth Kenneth. Crews are using 56 fire engines, 19 bulldozers, 27 water tenders and 4 helicopters. There have been approximately 400 evacuations as a result of the Clearwater Complex.

The Big Lost Fire outside of Potlatch, which started last Thursday, has remained at 1,280 acres for several days. According to a North Idaho Fire Info update, the fire is still being handled by a Type 3 Instant Management Team. Road closures have been lifted, but two campgrounds, Laird Park and White Pine, have been evacuated.

“We’ve had a bulldozer line around it for two days,” said Jay Kirchner, a Public Affairs Officer for the Idaho Panhandle National Forest. “The difficulty is in the wind blowing the fire to new areas.”

According to Kirchner, the team has successfully managed the fire and is hopeful that it will not get any larger. Although there have been some spot fires as a result of the wind, the perimeter of bulldozer lines around the fire has effectively prevented its growth.

Due to the vast number of resources and personnel being utilized in fighting the fires, accurate counts are difficult to obtain, said Kirchner.

“Many hundreds, if not thousands of firefighters are involved,” he said. “Every qualified firefighter is engaged in fighting these fires.”