IDAHO, USA — Wildfires can wreak havoc on Idaho's landscape, and one way that agencies try to prevent fires is through fire restrictions.
Fire restrictions can prevent flames from sparking by helping curb human caused wildfires.
"Nationally, at least 80% of all fires are human caused," Scott Phillips, policy and communications chief for the Idaho Department of Lands said. "The sad thing about a human-caused wildfire is with a little bit of education and some common sense, it's totally preventable."
Fire restrictions are set by agencies including the Idaho Department of Lands, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, and Bureau of Indian Affairs. They set limitations on human actions and behaviors that could cause fires.
"These fire managers come together, and they figure out what's the risk," Phillips said. "They look at fuel moisture levels, they look at fire danger ratings, they also look at human behavior and activity, if more humans are causing fires. They evaluate these and determine if we should go into Stage 1 or Stage 2 restrictions, or no restrictions at all."
Restrictions are set in stages, which describe how grave the fire risk is, and what actions are limited. Idaho has two fire stages.
There are two actions prohibited during Stage 1 restrictions:
- Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire, campfire or stove fire except within a designated recreation site, or on their own land, and only within an owner-provided fire structure.
- Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle, building, or designated recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials.
There are also some exemptions to Stage 1 fire restrictions.
Stage 1 restrictions also apply during Stage 2, but Stage 2 adds two additional restricted actions:
- Operating motorized vehicles off designated roads and trails in accordance with existing travel management plans.
- The following acts are prohibited from 1:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.:
- Operating a chainsaw or other equipment powered by an internal combustion engine for felling, bucking, skidding, yarding, processing, road building and woodcutting during industrial operations or firewood gathering.
- Blasting, welding, grinding or other activities that generate flame or flammable material.
- Using an explosive.
- A 1-hour patrol is required after the activities described above have ceased. For forest operations requiring an IDL-issued Certificate of Compliance, a 3-hour patrol is required. If the work is occurring under an IDL “Option 1” Certificate of Compliance, a 1-hour patrol is required.
Some exemptions to Stage 2 fire restrictions can be found here.
A map with current fire restrictions in place can be found online, and fire stages can change throughout the summer.
"Fire managers really take setting or lifting the restrictions seriously," Phillips said. "So every week they're evaluating what the conditions are on the ground and making adjustments as necessary."
While most of the Gem State isn't currently under any fire restrictions, the Idaho Department of Lands says wildfires can still easily start, even if there aren't restrictions - so always be vigilant when recreating outdoors.
The map of current fire restrictions and Stage 1 and Stage 2 fire restriction guidelines can be found on the Idaho Department of Land's website.
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