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Fire season gets underway in area
A fire that broke out last week behind the old Kmart building briefly caused local police to consider evacuating everyone in town southeast of American Legion Boulevard and 18th East St.
But prompt action by local fire crews and the Bureau of Land Management caused them to quickly cancel those plans.
The fire, which began with a car on fire on I-84 last Tuesday, burned only a couple hundred acres as the BLM responded with a full set of crew and equipment, helicopter water drops, and even an aircraft capable of dropping flame retardant circling above, just in case.
It was one of more than a half dozen fires that broke out last week in Elmore and northern Owyhee County, the start of what the BLM fears will be a significant fire season.
A lengthy wet spring has caused grasses on the desert to grow thigh-high and thick, and combined with the lack of any serious burns in the last two years, has resulted in a heavy "fuel load" on the desert that is expected to be "explosive" as temperatures warm up and the grasses dry out.
"Once we get some thunderstorms and dry lighting," said Jessica Gardetto, a fire information officer for the BLM, "we're going to have a bad season. I've never seen the desert so loaded with fuel."
And just as the desert rapidly begins to dry out, the Fourth of July is nearing, complete with fireworks that can easily start a fire. Every year someone drops firecrackers into the desert, or fires off bottle rockets -- both illegal fireworks -- that start fires.
"Oh, yeah, we love those people," Gardetto said with a heavy dose of sarcasm in her voice. "It's amazing how many people still do it."
If caught, those who start a fire by using fireworks can be held responsible for the cost of fighting the fire, "and that isn't cheap," she said.
About half of all fires fought by the BLM are caused by humans, and if it is determined that the human activity that began them was the result of illegal activity, or negligence, "we can and will prosecute them, and those fire bills aren't pretty."
The most common cause of human-caused fires, outside of the Fourth of July season, are caused by vehicles -- cars, trucks and ATVs -- driving off-road. Hot mufflers, catalytic converters and spark arrestors can quickly start a fire. "Sometimes you'll see somebody driving through the desert and they're just leaving a trail of fire in their wake," Gardetto said. Grass often collects up under skid plates of ORVs or in wheel wells and are easily ignited.
"If you are going to be driving off road, especially on a hot, windy, day," she said, "make sure you stop to check and see if grass is accumulating under your vehicle.
"And unless absolutely necessary, don't drive or park on dry grass."
As more and more development moves into desert areas, the BLM also is increasingly concerned about fires burning residences. By law, the BLM is responsible only for fighting range fires. Crew have no authority, or training, to fight structure fires.
Gardetto said homeowners in or adjacent to desert areas should protect themselves by building fire lanes of at least 20 to 30 feet of green grass, rock or gravel. Roofs also are key, she said. "If you live in an area of wildfires, and your roof isn't flame resistant, that's a bad idea."
When winds pick up, embers from a fire can sometimes travel several miles, "and it just takes one, in a tree or an awning or under a deck, and you can lose your house.
"If you think about those things, you can have a nice landscape and still have a firewise home," she said.
The BLM enters the fire season fully staffed. Even the seven fires that broke out simultaneously in this area last week, including a 2,000-acre fire near Hammett called the North Ham fire, didn't fully stretch its resources.
In addition, she said, rural fire departments, which usually arrive first at a fire on BLM land, "are key. They get on the fires right away," and often keep them from spreading until the BLM crews can arrive and put them out. "We're working on more funding, equipment and training for them," she said.
Last week, in addition to the fires near Mountain Home and Hammett, the BLM fought the East Horse fire about 11 miles south of Bruneau, and three other small fires in the region of only a few acres.
Range fires are dangerous, and can quickly get out of control. A fire will move as fast as the wind is blowing and can rapidly overtake people who stop to gawk or think they can get out of the way.
For the local BLM office, the two areas of most concern are the Boise Front and the Mountain Home area, largely because so many homes could be threatened.
"When you get a fire close to town, like we did down there (behind Kmart) the other day, we typically send the world," Gardetto said, explaining the massive response last Tuesday.
"It's going to be a bad fire season, but the fewer fires we have caused by humans, the better."
Like the BLM, the Boise National Forest also is gearing up for the fire season, with a full set of crews ready to respond.
Human-caused fires there are also a concern. "Our biggest problem is usually campfires left unattended or not fully extinguished," said Ranger Larry Tripp of the Mountain Home office of the Boise National Forest. "We've already found numerous ones this year," but caught them before they could start a forest fire.
And Tripp only expects that problem to get worse as the Fourth of July and the summer holiday season get underway.
"We'll be patrolling pretty heavy the next few weeks," he said, "and if we find somebody using fireworks, or leaving a campfire without putting it completely out, we will take no prisoners." Expect to be cited and fined, or, if you start a forest fire, expect to pay the cost of fighting that fire, which runs from tens of thousands of dollars to tens of millions.
And, Tripp noted, in the national forest areas, it is illegal to have any type of fireworks in your possession. "They are a big no-no in the national forest."
"I think most people understand they can start fires with fireworks," he said, "and in the past we haven't had too many problems except around the reservoir (Anderson Ranch)." And any use there could be bad right now. The reservoir is temporarily full, so there is no sandy shoreline area. It's all dry grass that can easily ignite.
Unlike the BLM, which is convinced conditions are ripe for a horrible fire season, Tripp said in the forest area "the jury's still out as to what type of season we're going to have. A lot will depend on how hot and dry it gets the last part of June and the first part of July."
And people seem more aware of the potential for a fire in the forest areas he said. While about half of all BLM-area fires (usually desert areas) are caused by human activity, in the forest, the "vast majority," Tripp said, are triggered by lightning.
Using lookouts, such as the Trinity Lookout site, and data provided by the National Weather Service, forest service officials can identify areas where lightning may have struck. Then they overfly the area as soon as possible to see if a fire has started. If it has, crews are dispatched immediately.
Tripp said the Forest Service is fully prepared for the fire season, with plenty of local resources to draw on and, with the national fire center offices in Boise, can rapidly obtain crews from around the country if the fire season gets out of hand. "Really, about the only issue we have right now," Tripp said, is the national shortage of heavy-lift tanker aircraft, the vast majority of which have been grounded due to some crashes last year. In their place are smaller aircraft and heavy-lift helicopters.
"Hopefully," Tripp said, "we'll get through this season OK. But I think the BLM could be in for a long summer," he said.
Both BLM and forest service officials are warning the public to take all precautions to prevent fires.
"The price of using fireworks, or carelessness with a campfire, chainsaw, vehicle or cigarette, can be extremely high," said David Olson, Boise National Forest Public Affairs Officer.
Most forest facilities are open but visitors are encouraged to call the appropriate ranger districts ahead of time for the latest updates. Many campsites are reservation only with only a few "first come first serve" opportunities. Forest officials note that the Trinity Campground may be closed until July 15, depending on snow levels.