The U.S. Forest Service closed a large chunk of the North Fork Coeur d’Alene River drainage in Northern Idaho due to a forecast of hazardous fire weather and because of close to 20 fires already burning on the Coeur d’Alene River Ranger District.
“It’s probably among the most popular forest access in all of the Idaho Panhandle,” said Jason Kirchner, spokesman for the Idaho Panhandle National Forests. The closure, unprecedented in its size for this area, is necessary to protect public safety, Kirchner said.
“We’re not aware of ever needing an area closure this large before, but we’re also in a fire season where we haven’t seen this much fire on the landscape since 1926,” he said.
The public is barred from campgrounds, trail heads and day-use areas in the nearly 10-square-mile area northeast of Coeur d’Alene and north of Kellogg. Officials swept through the campgrounds asking people to leave, and barricades have been erected on forest roads.
For questions about campground reservations, go to www.recreation.gov or call (888) 448-1474. For questions about reservations at any of the rental cabins, call Barb Hansen at (208) 769-3050.
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I am Jeff Clark, founder of Internet Brothers, producer of this blog, and passionate about hiking. I live in Western NC near the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains. Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests are just out my door, so the content will focus on these areas, but let me know what you would like to see on the site. 
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