On Saturday night, the state of Oregon requested the state of Idaho send firefighters to help with the Durkee Fire in eastern Oregon.
By 5 a.m. Sunday, volunteers from Kootenai County Fire and Rescue, Timberlake Fire Protection District and Hauser Lake Fire Protection District and Worley Fire District mobilized to lend their assistance with battling the blaze. Each North Idaho department sent two firefighters and a brush truck to fulfill the request. “We were only sending two people, and we had a lot of people willing to go," said Kootenai County Fire Chief Chris Way. "We're very proud to send help. We also recognize while we're the ones sending help today, we may be the people needing help in the future."
When the local firefighters departed, the Durkee Fire had burned around 78,000 acres. The blaze was sparked by a lightning strike July 17.