A Forest Service helicopter drops water and fire retardant on an estimated 100-acre wildfire near Fighting Creek on Tuesday afternoon. Ground crews responded to the fire around 2 p.m. and the fire was under control by 5 p.m. (Coeur d'Alene Press photo: Tess Freeman)

A small slash fire quickly spread into an estimated 100-acre wildland fire on Tuesday near Fighting Creek, a homeowner told The Press. No structures were damaged, but the fire came within about 250 feet of the homeowner's newer 3,000-square-foot home and threatened others in the vicinity. The homeowner, who declined to be identified, said he split wood earlier in the day and started a small fire of bark near the outbuilding on the property. He said he and his wife went inside the building for a few minutes and, when he came out, the field of hay stubble across the dirt road had caught on fire. "We were right here with it, but the wind kicked up," he said. "I couldn't believe I looked up and saw the smoke. It's not like we had made a bonfire"/Brian Walker, Press. More here.

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