Idaho fire danger high |
| August 28, 2012 |
|
At least 50 wildfires are currently being
tracked in Idaho, and continued hot, dry
conditions have resulted in expanded Stage 1
fire restrictions being imposed today in much of
central Idaho, placing strict limitations on the
use of all fires until further notice. Those
restrictions haven't been imposed in Boundary
County, but the danger for wildfires throughout
North Idaho are high. The haze in the air over Boundary County is the result of fires burning in Idaho, Washington, Oregon and even California. In some parts of southern Idaho, Idaho Governor Butch Otter has mobilized the National Guard to assist in firefighting and community protection. "I spent a busy day on Tuesday, August 21st, flying around several of the actively burning forest fires threatening several of our communities," he said in a release issued today. "The Trinity Ridge fire is burning in the Boise National Forest, dangerously close to the towns of Pine and Featherville. The Halstead Fire is burning near Stanley in the Salmon Challis National Forest. I got a firsthand look at the great work that firefighters are doing and was brief by incident commanders on the fires - each of which are over 100,000 acres. The cost fighting the Trinity Ridge fire alone is upwards of $16 million." According to the governor, over 1,000 firefighters are working on the Trinity Ridge Fire and over 600 on the Halstead fire. The area now covered by the Stage 1 fire restrictions now includes public and private lands outside of incorporated cities in all of Nez Perce, Clearwater and Lewis Counties, parts of Idaho County north of tthe Salmon River and west of U.S. 95, the Hells Canyon Recreation Area in Adams County and all Clearwater National Forest lands in Latah and Shoshone Counties. Under Stage 1 fire restrictions, it is illegal to build a campfire or use a camp stove outside except in a designated recreation site or, on private property, within a proper fire pit; and it's illegal to smoke outside an enclosed vehicle or in a three foot diameter area that's bare or has been cleared of all flammable materials. There are certain exceptions, but they're few, and most require an approved burn permit issued by the Idaho Department of Lands. Backcountry fires have raised concerns for hunters, including access, and a number of roads and trails in Idaho have been closed until the danger of wildfire diminishes. According to Idaho Fish and Game, hunters affected by fire-related closures can adjust their schedule to hunt later in the season or exchange general tags to hunt in a different area, though tags have to be exchanged before the season begins. Hunters with controlled hunt tags can exchange them for general season tags before the controlled hunt begins, but fees will not be refunded. IDFG will consider requests for rain checks or refunds for those blocked by fire, but only on a case-by-case basis. Everyone planning to head into the backcountry should check with the local Forest Service district office or with the county sheriff's department before heading out. You can find updates on fires throughout the nation on the Incident Information System website, http://www.inciweb.org. |