County-wide burn ban now in effect

Conditions across Elmore County continue to worsen as vegetation in the mountains and surrounding plains continue to dry out, leading to conditions present in the county during the Trinity Ridge Fire in 2012, shown here, that burned to the outskirts of Rocky Bar.

Due to the increasing fire danger conditions in Mountain Home and surrounding communities, a county-wide burn ban took effect July 1.

The county commissioners officially signed the order that morning, which affects all residents living in Mountain Home, the Mountain Home Rural Fire District as well as the rural fire agencies in Glenns Ferry and King Hill.

The restriction prohibits all open burning of yard waste and debris and also bans the use of burn barrels, campfires, warming fires and the discharge of tracer rounds from various weapons.

People can light fires inside small, ornamental containers or within a monitored fire ring less than three feet in diameter and two feet in height located on private property within the Mountain Home Fire District area, which includes the city itself, said city fire marshal Brian Reed. However, those fires are restricted to recreational use only and not for the purpose of burning rubbish and lawn waste, he added.

As part of the yearly fire restrictions, local officials stopped issuing burn permits and don't expect to resume until the extreme fire danger passes. The city fire department has issued approximately 150 of these permits over the past few months, but they don't include more than 600 others that were previously issued and are still valid, the city fire marshal said.

The county wide burn ban comes as local fire crews battled several small-scale fires across the county over the past month. Among them was a fire in mid-June that torched 10 acres of land just south of the interstate that prompted authorities to temporarily shut down a portion of the highway.

On June 20, officials increased the local fire danger to "high" levels as temperatures across southern Idaho continue to rise toward triple digits. Officials then elevated that danger level to "very high" the following day.

Combined with a heavy fuel load and lower humidity, it's only a matter of time before the first major range fire ignites, Reed said.

"It is incredibly dry out there right now," the fire marshal added.

In related news, officials with the Idaho Department of Lands said the 2016 summer fire outlook has the potential for larger fires this season. The report comes as temperatures continue to rise across the state with firefighting resources being deployed to designated staging areas as a precaution.

Hot temperatures and dry weather across the state last week continues to rapidly dry out heavy fuels. This includes brush that remained mostly unscathed following the 2014 and 2015 fire seasons in which Elmore County saw fewer large-scale range fires, according to Reed.

Nationwide, Elmore County sits near the center of where most range fires are reported within the continental United States. The Oasis community sits within that "bulls eye" of that fire map.

Since the first range fire was reported in recent weeks, they were all linked to people and not lightning. These small-scale fires were triggered by equipment and controlled burns that got out of control.

Elmore County enters this fire season as work continues to restore state and federal lands that sustained heavy damage following three major range fires in recent years. The Trinity Ridge fire in 2012 torched nearly 300,000 acres with the Elk Complex and Pony Complex fires the following year scorching another 265,000 acres before they were contained.

Fire officials urge local 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.

As the sales of fireworks began on Tuesday, Mountain Home fire officials also reminded residents to remain extremely vigilant if they choose to use them. They urged people to never launch fireworks in open range areas.

To stay safe, people should fire them off on their driveway or green grass with a water hose nearby, fire officials said.

Law enforcement officers will strongly enforce firework laws. Penalties include thousands of dollars in fines in addition to jail time. Also, those responsible for starting a fire may be liable for firefighting costs and land restitution expenses, which can involve thousands of dollars.

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 firefighting efforts.

For more information on burn restrictions in the Boise National Forest, call the U.S. Forest Service at 587-7961. For details on the local burn ban, call the Mountain Home Fire Department at 587-2117.