Containment grows on Sunset Fire

SANDPOINT — Containment of the Sunset Fire in southern Bonner County has reached 80%, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

“All in all, we’re in that big wind-down phase for the entire fire,” said Greg Shenk, operations section chief for Northern Rockies Team 5.

As containment increases, the Idaho Panhandle National Forest has lifted an area closure, and command is expected to transfer from the Northern Rockies Complex Incident Command to a local North Idaho Type 3 Incident Management Team on Saturday.

Crews continue to secure and mop up firelines along the perimeter, with pumps, hoses and sprinklers being removed from the western and northern flanks where they are no longer needed. Structure protection equipment is also being taken down in areas where it is no longer nece