Wildfire season in Idaho isn’t over yet

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — Fire season in Idaho isn’t over just yet, but according to the Bureau of Land Management, this year’s fire season was an interesting one.

“Things got started a little later, and then we had a pretty good rash of starts, and then it kind of died down again, and now we are starting to see it pick back up, over the last few weeks,” said Kelsey Brizendine, with the Bureau of Land Management.

Brizendine says many of the wildfires they saw this summer were human caused, including the Powerline Fire, The Sheep Fire, and The Eden 2 Fire.

She says as hunting season begins, it is important to not add on to that trend and make sure you aren’t dragging any chains, leaving any campfires unattended or driving with flat tires.

“It gets a little taxing this time of year, starts to wear and tear on the firefighters, being out and working those long hours,” said Brizendine.

The Forest Service says one of the challenges they are facing with the Ross Fork Fire is the amount of fuel that continues to burn.

“All those big dead downed trees that are burning, those big heavy fuels that are in the understory in the interior portions of the fire, those will probably keep burning until there is a season ending event,” said Juan Delgado, the public information officer for the Ross Fork Fire.

Which is why, wildfires aren’t all bad. In fact sometimes they can be a benefit to the natural habitat, as long as the fire isn’t burning too hot and threatening people’s lives and homes, it can be beneficial.

“That helps rejuvenate that soil, within a year we have new plants sprouting up in that area, which in turn brings new wildlife,” said Delgado.

“It’s important to realize that not all fire is bad, and when the fire is allowed to do its job, clean up the understory, remove those dense pockets of vegetation, remove those diseased plants, you’re really, you’re going to see those areas thrive,” said Brizendine.

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