Public Safety

Upper Smith Fire Active in Idaho Panhandle

Thursday, July 16, 2026

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The Upper Smith Fire, ignited by lightning on July 7-8, is active on a steep north-facing slope above Smith Creek, 20 miles northwest of Bonners Ferry, Idaho. A Type 3 incident management team assumed command on July 11, 2026.

The fire is burning on the Idaho Panhandle National Forests, with perimeter data noted as approximate. Residents near Smith Creek drainage should monitor updates for potential impacts on access routes and air quality, as the fire remains active on a north-facing slope.

📄 Source: InciWeb Active Wildfires — http://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idipf-upper-smith-fire

Checked against the public record2 of 9 claims · 22%

Every factual claim below was checked against the original public record. Source: original document ↗

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The Upper Smith Fire was ignited by lightning on July 7-8“null”
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The Upper Smith Fire is active on a steep north-facing slope above Smith Creek“The Upper Smith Fire is located within the Smith Creek drainage, approximately 6 miles west of Porthill, Idaho and about 20 miles northwest of Bonners Ferry, Idaho. The fire was ignited by lightning on July 7th. It is burning on a steep, north-facing slope in heavy timber with significant concentrations of dead and down fuels.”
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The Upper Smith Fire is located 20 miles northwest of Bonners Ferry, IdahoNot found in the source record — unverified.
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A Type 3 incident management team assumed command on July 11, 2026“null”
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The fire is burning on the Idaho Panhandle National Forests“null”
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Perimeter data for the fire is noted as approximate“null”
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Residents near Smith Creek drainage should monitor updates for potential impacts on access routes“null”
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Residents near Smith Creek drainage should monitor updates for potential impacts on air quality“null”
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The fire remains active on a north-facing slope“The fire was ignited by lightning on July 7th. It is burning on a steep, north-facing slope in heavy timber with significant concentrations of dead and down fuels.”