County, city impose full burn ban

A burn ban with the city limits of Mountain Home took affect today, July 3, as part of similar measures adopted across the county earlier this week.

In a resolution signed Tuesday, the board of county commissioners imposed a similar burn ban for all of Elmore County with the city of Glenns Ferry also imposing the same measure.

The burn ban for Mountain Home also includes land within the Mountain Home Rural Fire District, said Mountain Home Fire Chief Alan Bermensolo.

These latest restrictions come as local officials increased the fire danger to "extreme" levels as local temperatures soared above 100 degrees Fahrenheit on Friday.

The bans include all open burning, including the burning of yard debris and fields, fire officials said. The restriction also prohibits the use of burn barrels, campfires, warming fires and the discharge of tracer rounds from various weapons.

In addition, local fire officials stopped issuing burn permits on Friday and don't expect to resume until the extreme fire danger passes.

The county-wide burn bans come just days after a range fire scorched an estimated 400 acres of grasslands northwest of Glenns Ferry. An arcing powerline resulting from high winds sparked the Moon Fire around 8:30 p.m. June 18.

The fire burned along the plateau between Cold Springs and Alkali Creek. Traveling southeast and carried by heavy winds, it jumped the King Hill Irrigation District canal and continued toward the interstate. Fire crews from the Bureau of Land Management and King Hill Rural Fire District contained the fire about 24 hours later.

In a recent report, officials with the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise said the 2013 summer fire outlook has the potential for significant fire activity in Idaho and other West Coast states.

"We're looking at a combination of a low-moisture winter and a warming and drying pattern in the West that will increase the fire potential," said Ed Delgado, manager of the fire center's predictive services unit.

The area fire danger is forecast to escalate through July and into August to above-normal potential. In fact, some areas in the Boise National Forest normally blocked by snow in late June are open now. This includes Deadwood Reservoir, Bull Trout Campground and many high elevation trails.

"The forest is about six weeks ahead of normal, which means the forest is as dry now as it normally is in early-to-mid August," said Forest Fire Chief Bob Shindelar.

Despite all the range fires that raged across Elmore County last year, a great deal of fuel on the desert and in the mountains is rapidly drying out. Historically, the county sits at the heart of the area where the most fires in the state are reported.

Idaho is coming off one of its worst-ever fire seasons with 1,151 wildfires tallied and a nation-leading 1.7 million acres, or 2,600 square miles, burned in 2012. Nearly a third of that involved fires in Elmore and eastern Owyhee counties.

Local fire officials are urging areas residents to be fire conscious, especially with the Fourth of July weekend approaching. It is illegal to use fireworks that explode or fly into the air. It's also illegal to possess or use fireworks on public lands.

With the sales of fireworks continuing this week, city fire officials reminded local residents to remain extremely vigilant if they choose to use them. They urged people to never launch fireworks in open range areas, which have a heavy fuel load due to the unseasonably warm winter that didn't yield a sufficient amount of snowfall.

"Be safe. Fire them off on your driveway or green grass with a water hose nearby," Bermensolo said.

Law enforcement officers will strongly enforce firework laws. Penalties include a $5,000 fine and up to six months in jail. In addition, any person responsible for starting a fire may be liable for fire fighting costs and land restitution expenses, which can involve thousands of dollars.

Meanwhile, Boise National Forest managers urge those recreating in the mountains to remain vigilant with campfires or activities that might cause an ignition. Drivers using off-road vehicles should remain particularly careful since mufflers and catalytic converters can easily start fires, officials said.

In related news, the Idaho Fire Prevention Order recently issued by the Bureau of Land Management remains in effect until Oct. 20. Anyone who starts an uncontrolled fire on public lands can be fined up to $1,000 and jail time. They can also be billed for the costs of fire-fighting efforts.

For more information on burn restrictions in the Boise National Forest, call the U.S. Forest Service at 587-7961.