Fire danger "extreme"
By GREG STAHL
Express Staff Writer
Due to "extreme" fire danger across southern Idaho, six of the
state’s national forests —including the Sawtooth National Forest, the Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) and the Idaho Department of Lands have declared campfire and
cigarette smoking restrictions across the southern half of the state.
An order declaring Stage 1 fire restrictions was signed by the Forest
Service’s Intermountain Region’s forester, Jack Blackwell, in Ogden, Utah, on
Monday and will go into effect tomorrow.
The Idaho Department of Lands, BLM and Forest Service agreed to set the
restrictions late last week, according to a BLM press release.
Stage 1 restrictions prohibit fires except for those fueled by liquid
petroleum or built within developed recreation sites. Violation of the restriction is
punishable by a $5,000 fine and/or six months imprisonment.
"We implement fire restrictions as a last resort because of the
impact to forest users," Sawtooth Forest fire management officer Randy Richter said
in a press release. "These restrictions help protect forest resources, private
property and residences and forest users.
"We evaluate numerous factors before a restriction is implemented
such as fuel moisture and fire danger. Another factor we consider is predicted weather,
which is supposed to remain hot and dry."
Richtor, 45, who has been the Sawtooth’s fire management officer for
nine years, said the Sawtooth National Forest has not had Stage 1 fire restrictions since
1996. The next, and only other stage, Stage 2, would restrict motorized uses as well,
Richtor said. Stage 2 has also not been implemented since 1996, he said.
When asked during an interview, Richtor said, "I think it’s
possible" that southern Idaho could experience Stage 2 restrictions this summer.
"If the weather stays hot and dry, I think there’s a fair chance
of that happening," he said.
On Monday, Richtor’s fire crews responded to a small wildfire on the
shores of Norton Lake. The fire started from an unattended campfire, he said.
The fire only burned an area approximately 20 feet by 30 feet in diameter,
but could have been worse if suppression crews hadn’t arrived, Richtor said.
Not surprisingly, the majority of human-caused fires on the Sawtooth
National Forest occur in the Sawtooth Valley and Stanley Basin, though they’re
typically very small.
The largest forest fires are typically south of the Snake River, he said.
Around 30 members of the Sawtooth National Forest’s fire fighting
crews are working in Salmon to try to stop the 3,700-acre Fernster Fire, which has
threatened, but not harmed, some Salmon homes.
Officials have declared the lightning-caused fire, which nearly burned
about a dozen homes Friday, as the top priority blaze in the Great Basin.
Variable winds have helped the flames spread to the north and west.
Meanwhile, near Shoup, the 27,000-acre Clear Creek fire, which started in
the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, continues to spread east on the south side
of the Salmon River. Friday afternoon the fire grew from 1,000 acres to 25,000 acres and
ran 10 miles.
While lightning is a common cause of wildland fires, human activity also
contributes, Richtor said. Campfires left unattended have potential to start large
wildland fires, he said.
"It is very important for people to be aware that forest fuels are
very dry and ignite easily," Richtor said.
