Friday, July 5, 2013

Be smart about fire risks

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    The weather this week is the news in the Intermountain West. With record temperatures being set all over Idaho for this time of year, worry rises as thunderheads build their airy summits each day.
    No one can control the weather, but we humans below can make sure we don’t start a devastating forest or range fire.
    This is one of the weekends Americans pull out all the stops—and should. It’s prime time for hiking, boating, camping or fishing, then dropping in on a Sun Valley ice show, gallery walk or performance. But to keep the fun going, all of us need to be smart and aware of our impacts on the land around us.
    Travel in the region is up according to AAA and it may exceed projections as people leave sweltering cities and seek out the cooler days and nights in the Sun Valley area’s mountains, rivers and northern lakes.
    This area is a respite for visitors, but carelessness in handling fireworks, campfires or machinery could bring its attractiveness to a screeching halt.
    The area is experiencing a low water year along with early heat. So, outdoor hillsides are drying out in places and can become tinder boxes overnight. One misplaced spark from a bottle rocket, a campfire, a dirt bike or a lawn mower could wreck everyone’s fun.
    At this point, nearly every place in Idaho has been affected at some point by wildfires and the unhealthy, unpleasant smoke they generate—not to mention the danger to communities and people’s lives.
    When we’re having fun, it’s easy to forget that we need to be careful to prevent wildfires. This area knows only too well that an ounce of prevention is worth planeloads of fire retardant and miles of fire breaks.
    Now, if someone could just convince Mother Nature … .

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