Caribou Fire  The Caribou Fire (also known as the Linklater Fire) was a wildfire in the Kootenai National Forest, 21 miles northwest of Eureka, Montana in the United States. The fire, which was first reported on August 11, 2017, was started by a lightning strike and burned a total of , including acres in Canada. The fire threatened the community of West Kootenai, Montana, resulting in a mandatory evacuation of the community. It destroyed 10 homes. The Caribou Fire was one three fires burning in the forest, alongside the Gibralter Fire and Weasel Fire. The Caribou Fire was reported on August 11, 2017, at 10:51 AM, 21 miles northwest of Eureka in the Yaak Area of Kootenai National Forest. It was started by a lightning strike in the upper reaches of Caribou Creek and Robinson Mountain. It was fueled by subalpine fir timber and dead and downed spruce. Crews estimated the fire had burned by August 24, leading fire crews to begin mopping and patrolling for flare ups. The fire resulted in the forest instituting a Stage II Fire Restriction prohibiting fire, campfire and stove fire use of any kind except for those from liquid petroleum or propane. The fire's expansion towards the Canadian border launched coordination between Canadian officials and an aircraft was used to drop fire retardant. As the fire expanded , crews worked to keep the fire south of the Canadian border using air and ground resources to create fire lines. By August 28, the fire had expanded .25 miles into Canada, with 90% remaining in the U.S. Canadian fire managers launched contingency lines. The Caribou Fire continued to grow northeast, with fire lines passing into the Young J Fire area that burned in 2000. Canadian authorities named the fire burning in Canada the Linklater Fire. Basin Yaak Rd. to Dodge Summit and Caribou Creek Campground were closed. By September 1, the Caribou Fire had grown to . The next day, the fire moved east towards Forest Road 303, threatening 400 structures and prompting mandatory orders for West Kootenai, Montana. Overnight, the fire doubled in size to , expanding four miles northeast, destroying a number of structures. On September 5, property owners who suffered damage or destruction of structures were escorted by the Lincoln County Sheriffs' Department to assess their properties. Protection measures were put in place in the Basin Creek area and pre-evacuation orders were put in place for the West Kootenai area south of Tooley Lake and Basin Creek.