BOISE, Idaho — As temperatures drop and snow begins to fall, wildfires are not something that has ended with summer.
Wildland firefighting is typically a job for hotter months, but this year, crews are preparing to fight fires in colder conditions, creating new challenges for firefighters who are used to warmer weather.
The Idaho Department of Land said many of their fire crew member are seasonal workers, which has caused their crews to decrease largely in size.
Though winter usually brings some relief to wildfire season, the job doesn't stop when temperatures drop.
Crews are winterizing their equipment by removing water from engines and hoses, morning and night, preventing cracks in frozen valves and pipes.
Crews also have to prepare for hazardous conditions, like icy terrain and unsolid grounds.
With cold conditions, although it brings relief from the heat, firefighters are starting to wake up in icy tents and tying not to get sick.
"Colder temperatures tend to wear people out a lot quicker. People are sleeping outside in tents. Sometimes they still have their summer sleeping bags, and it just really takes its toll on firefighters as well as the equipment," Casper Urbanek, State Fire Warden at Idaho Department of Lands, told KTVB Friday.
Rain and snow can help slow the spread of fires by adding moisture to fuel piles, but too much of it can make roads muddy an difficult to navigate.
Crews remain vigilant, knowing that despite colder weather, wildfires can still pose a significant threat during the winter season.
BLM said shorter days, cooler nights, and increased humidity are all factors that typically help slow down wildfires in colder months, but the unpredictability of fire behavior means crews remain prepared for fires to resurface throughout or after a snowy winter.
"It's been a long year. I think we're all ready. We're ready for some winter events," Jeremiah Hart, Division Group Supervisor of the Valley Fire, told KTVB.