Hotter and drier weather is moving into the region this week and could hinder efforts to stamp out the Sunset fire burning across more than 3,200 acres in the past week along the western shore of Lake Pend Oreille.

More firefighting crews arrived over the weekend, bringing the number of people digging lines and protecting structures to more than 400.

The temperature around the fire area, which stretches from Bayview north to the hillsides of Blacktail Mountain, will be in the mid-80s this week but will likely rise to the 90s by the weekend, said National Weather Service Spokane meteorologist Daniel Butler. Relative humidity will also be around 15%, which is considered dry.

Further drying of trees and brush, along with winds that can push up and across the region’s largest lake, can spre

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