Mount Pulaski wildfire contained

WALLACE – The Mount Pulaski wildfire near Wallace seems to be under control after some quick reporting Wednesday afternoon.

Idaho Department of Lands Assistant Fire Warden, Chris Myers, reported that the fire, located on a mountainside southwest of Wallace, has been 100% contained as of Thursday night and is not expected to grow any further.

The fire was first spotted by Wallace residents around 2 p.m. Wednesday afternoon and received quick attention once firefighters were alerted. The Shoshone County Sheriff's Office stressed in a Thursday morning news release that the rapid reporting of fire was key in knocking it down before it got out of hand.

"Myers thought it was important to mention that due to the quick detection and reporting of the fire, IDL was able to immediately respond and prevent the fire from growing," SCSO said. "A huge thank you goes out to the citizens who made the phone call to get the responders on their way."

While there was a road that led to the site of the blaze, a roughly hour-long drive time prompted IDL to request additional assets.

Air support involved in extinguishing the fire included two large air tankers, two smaller air tankers, a helicopter and an air attack plane to coordinate efforts.

On the ground, IDL and USFS personnel utilized one fire engine each. The fire suppression effort was also supported by eight smokejumpers, who arrived on scene late Wednesday afternoon.

According to the Coeur d'Alene Interagency Dispatch Center, the fire burned approximately .85 acres.

While Myers does not expect the fire to grow any further, citizens will continue to see smoke for several days while they continue to conduct mop-up operations.

The cause of the wildfire is still under investigation.