Regional Smoke Advisory Issued for Five Counties
The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality issued an Air Quality Advisory on Friday afternoon covering five North Idaho counties as smoke from active wildfires continues to degrade regional air conditions. The advisory, issued at 12:30 p.m., warns residents in Boundary, Bonner, Kootenai, Shoshone, and Benewah Counties of health hazards stemming from smoke produced by the Turner and Upper Smith fires burning in Boundary County.
DEQ forecasts poor air quality to persist through Saturday before conditions improve on Sunday and Monday as atmospheric patterns shift. A National Weather Service meteorologist noted that “we’ll get winds out of the Southwest, into the early part of the weekend. Then, when the winds shift, it is going to move where the smoke is going,” indicating that wind direction changes will determine how smoke disperses across the region.
Evacuation Orders Remain; Fire Response Continues
The Turner Fire, which continues to burn in Boundary County, has drawn a response from over 170 fire personnel. All evacuation orders for Boundary County remain in effect as firefighting efforts intensify. Boundary County Sheriff Travis Stolley reported that “we are continuing to monitor fire behavior and suppression efforts and significant progress has been made but not enough to warrant a change in evacuation status.”
The Upper Smith fire, which burned nearby, has achieved no containment as of reporting. The U.S. Forest Service determined Tuesday that lightning ignited the Upper Smith fire. The cause of the Turner Fire remains under investigation.
Combined, the two fires have burned just under 600 acres across the region.
Burn Restrictions Expand Across North Idaho
In response to heightened fire danger, Kootenai County has implemented a county-wide burn restriction banning all outdoor open flames and burning activities. Burn restrictions have been placed on nine North Idaho counties and are expected to remain in force through the weekend as fire conditions persist.
Boundary County Wildfires Send Smoke Into Coeur d’Alene; Air Quality Expected to Improve offers additional details on smoke impacts in adjacent regions. For broader context on North Idaho’s fire preparedness challenges, North Idaho Faces Extreme Wildfire Risk Amid Record Drought and Heat details the seasonal conditions driving current fire activity.
What Comes Next
Air quality readings should stabilize as winds shift into Sunday and Monday. Residents are urged to monitor local forecasts and heed evacuation guidance from county emergency management. Burn restrictions will remain in effect pending further assessment of fire behavior and atmospheric conditions.