Submitted illustration
By Kendra Evensen, kevensen@journalnet.com
Bannock County commissioners on Wednesday decided to prohibit fireworks and open fires due to extremely dry conditions. Their resolution came a day after the four-year anniversary of the devastating Charlotte wildfire that destroyed numerous homes and outbuildings in the area.
On Wednesday, the Idaho Falls District Bureau of Land Management also increased the fire danger in eastern Idaho to high.
“There is an abundance of grass across eastern Idaho thanks to the cool, wet spring. And following two weeks of hot, dry conditions, the fuels are drying out quickly,” according to a news release from the Eastern Idaho Interagency Fire Center (EIIFC).
As the July 4 holiday approaches, officials are encouraging people to check for restrictions in their area before burning or lighting fireworks since many counties have instituted bans due to the dry conditions.
Bannock County’s resolution states that the ban there, which will remain in effect until further notice, includes solid fuel open fires and fireworks in the unincorporated areas of the county.
“The ban does not include propane and charcoal briquette BBQ grills, burn barrels and designated fire pits,” according to the resolution.
Burn bans have also recently gone into effect for areas south of Pocatello — including from the city limits to Inkom and all of the Mink Creek and Gibson Jack areas — and in McCammon.
The Caribou-Targhee National Forest was listed in only moderate fire danger on Wednesday, but due to current conditions, both BLM and Forest Service officials are still asking the public to be careful while they’re out recreating and to remember that fireworks are always prohibited on the agencies’ lands in Idaho.
“Forest Service policy prohibits ‘possessing, discharging or using any kind of firework or other pyrotechnic device’ within the National Forest. This restriction is designed to; protect the forests and the natural environment; ensure the health and safety of visitors; and promote a pleasant and rewarding outdoor recreation experience for all recreationalists,” according to a news release from the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. “Those in possession (of) or discharging fireworks will be subject to fines and penalties.”
To help prevent wildfires this season, officials are encouraging people to ensure their vehicle tires are properly inflated, their wheel bearings are greased, their trailer safety chains aren’t dragging on the road, and they’re not parking in tall, dry grasses, according to the EIIFC news release. They’re also asking the public to build campfires in rings away from flammable materials, keep shovels, buckets and water nearby so they can quickly extinguish the fire if need be, and make sure any fires they start are completely out before they go.
“If it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot to leave,” the news release states.
Officials are also reminding people to mow tall grasses around their homes and keep their lawns watered to help protect their properties from encroaching flames.
That’s important.
The Charlotte wildfire rapidly covered 1,038 acres and destroyed 66 homes and 29 outbuildings southwest of Pocatello in 2012. It’s considered the most devastating wildfire in Bannock County’s history.
Officials are not only asking the public to do their part to prevent fires this season, but they are also asking them not to interfere with firefighting operations. For instance, making unauthorized Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) or drone flights over or around fires can cause aerial efforts to be shut down.
“So far this year, there have been four reports of unauthorized drone flights over or near wildfires in the U.S. and Canada. In 2015, there were at least 20 documented instances of unauthorized drone flights over or near wildfires in California, Colorado, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming and Washington,” according to a news release from the National Interagency Fire Center. “Aerial firefighting operations in these states were temporarily shut down on at least twelve occasions and there were two cases of near misses with UAS aircraft.”