(STORY IMAGE:KHQ.COM)
HAYDEN, Idaho : Update: 5:00 am, July 31
Kootenai County officials say the brush fires that broke out Monday afternoon appear to have been started by an aircraft.
"Several small fires resulted from an aircraft incident at the Coeur d'Alene airport earlier this (Monday) afternoon," Kootenai County posted on their Facebook page. "The plane in question landed safely & no one was injured as a result of this incident. Fire crews responded immediately to the resulting fires on & near the property. The airport resumed normal operation."
There were reports on social media that the fires were started intentionally, but those reports appear to be "unsubstantiated", according to the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office.
Kootenai County also added that if you'd like to receive information on all emergencies, sign up for "Alert! Kootenai" here.
Update 7:40 p.m.: Crews across Kootenai County have gotten a handle on several small brush fires that broke out Monday. Fire crews responded to between 4 and 6 fires over the course of a busy afternoon. All the fires were an acre in size at most, but firefighters worked hard to keep them from spreading in hot and dry conditions across the region.
One firefighter was injured while fighting the fires and taken to an area hospital, but he's expected to be OK.
Investigators are still trying to determine what caused the fires.