Idaho Lands seeks tips on Potlatch Hill and Saw Mill fires

The Idaho Department of Lands is asking anyone with information about the Potlatch Hill Fire above Fernan Lake and the Saw Mill Fire near E Mullin Trail Road to come forward as investigators work to determine how both fires started. The two blazes were reported July 29 and July 30 in the Coeur d'Alene area of Kootenai County, where even small human-caused starts can quickly turn into costly summer incidents.

The Potlatch Hill fire burned about one acre, and a Coeur d'Alene Fire Department post said crews were clear from the fire that night while Idaho Department of Lands crews were involved. No cause has been released for either fire, and state land officials are focusing on public information that could help narrow the timeline and point of origin.

IDL has been issuing wildfire-related updates in late July, including a July 25, 2025 bulletin, reflecting how active fire conditions can be across Idaho during peak season. In its fire handbook, the agency says wildland fires recur every summer and can hit landowners, recreation, commerce and the cost of suppression, which is funded by tax dollars.

Residents who were near Fernan Lake, Potlatch Hill or E Mullin Trail Road on those afternoons can help by passing along anything they saw that could place people, vehicles or activity near the fire areas. The agency’s fire-management page, Idaho Fire Map and Recent Wildfire Alerts page are the official places to track updates as crews and investigators sort through the incidents.

Those details matter because even a fire that covers only an acre can strain local response resources and create uncertainty during the most volatile part of the season. In Kootenai County, the fastest way to move an investigation forward is still the oldest one: a timely tip tied to a specific place and time.