IDAHO COUNTY, ID – After nearly two weeks of active firefighting, the Post Fire burning along the steep slopes above Highway 12 in the Lochsa River corridor is now 94% contained. Officials announced Monday that the Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 5 will transfer management of the incident back to local forest personnel at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 24.

The wildfire, first detected on June 10, held at 144 acres following improved mapping. Crews successfully prevented the fire from impacting the Highway 12 corridor, a key transportation route for commercial traffic and recreation between North Idaho and Western Montana.

Over the weekend, the area received approximately one inch of rain, significantly aiding suppression efforts. Firefighters took advantage of the cooler and wetter conditions to extinguish remaining hot spots. Though unmanned aerial system (UAS) flights continued to detect some heat, it has steadily diminished. Most firefighting crews have completed their assignments and demobilized, while a smaller group remains to conduct monitoring and suppression repair work, particularly along the Post Office Creek contingency line.

Remaining crews are packing out water-handling equipment and may use helicopters for additional backhaul operations if needed.

While heavy fuels may continue to smolder inside the fire’s perimeter, officials say no growth is expected due to the successful containment work already completed. The forecast calls for warmer and drier weather this week, with a brief chance of scattered showers Thursday before a ridge of high pressure returns, bringing temperatures above seasonal norms.

There are no Forest closures in place, and the temporary flight restriction (TFR) over the fire will be lifted Tuesday evening.

This marks the final update for the Post Fire unless conditions change significantly. For more information, visit InciWeb’s Post Fire page or contact fire information at 208-935-6134.