The U.S. Forest Service is working to fully contain the White Pine Fire in North Latah County by the end of the month. The fire began in late August near the Giant White Pine campground during Labor Day weekend. After an initial week where the fire remained at approximately 30 acres, it significantly expanded in early September to nearly 1,000 acres.

As of the latest update from the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, the White Pine Fire is currently 82% contained and has burned just over 1,000 acres. Full containment is projected for Halloween, and the management of the fire has incurred costs close to 17 million dollars for the federal government. Over the past month, hundreds of personnel have participated in the firefighting efforts, with 60 firefighters still actively assigned to the incident. It remains unclear whether the Giant White Pine Campground or the nearby Laird Park campground have reopened.

This fire marks the first significant timber fire in Latah County’s local mountains to be managed by the federal government in recent years. Previously, similar fires in the area, such as the Sand Mountain Fire in the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest during the summer of 2021, were handled by the Idaho Department of Lands fire crews. The Sand Mountain Fire, which covered 1,500 acres, was extinguished in about a month.

Additionally, the Strychnine Fire, which burned approximately 1,000 acres in the summer of 2017, was also managed by the Idaho Department of Lands and was contained in 11 days, with costs amounting to 2.5 million dollars at that time. Both the Strychnine and Sand Mountain Fires occurred relatively close to the area where the White Pine Fire is currently active.