Fire restrictions are a last resort in Idaho, but what prompts that decision?

The Idaho Department of Lands works in conjunction with partners in several dispatch zones to follow the Idaho Fire Restriction Plan .

It all starts in the spring as fire officials from the state, federal and tribal lands get together to review the plan. As fire season starts in the beginning of May managers in each district meet once a week to assess the criteria in their zone.

“It is getting too hot? What do fuel moisture look like? What do the seven and ten-day forecasts look like as far as weather, what will be the wind speed and then what are our staffing levels," said Jennifer Russell of the Idaho Department Lands in a Zoom call from Couer d'Alene.

Staffing levels played into the stage one fire restrictions in the Sawtooth National Forest with the Bench Lake Fire needed resources to keep the wildfire from spreading near Redfish Lake. Another fire in that area would stretch resources even thinner so the restrictions are an effort to prevent a human caused fire.

"Restrictions are a last resort, we don't want to tell people what they can and can’t do," said Russell. "But, when we get into that position where there are no more resources for brand new starts and we have lightning on the landscape and we know Mother Nature is going to do her thing, this is where we start limiting people’s ability to have an oops."

Idaho currently has stage one fire restrictions in the Grangeville Zone, the Central Zone, the Sawtooth North Zone and the Cassia Zone. Stage one fire restrictions only allow campfires in designated areas like a forest service campground or a private campground with a metal or concrete fire ring.

Right now people are not allowed to have campfires in the Sawtooth National Forest in primitive sites with a rock fire ring with stage one restrictions, currently there are no places in Idaho with stage two fire restrictions.

"The second thing about stage one restrictions is smoking," said Russell. "You can’t smoke anywhere other than inside your car inside, a building or in an area that is clear of anything that can burn with a three foot radius."

Idaho is also in a tough situation because it is usually one of the last states to burn as fires rage all around the state most notably in Oregon. The National Interagency Fire Center has a preparedness level of five, the highest rating there is.

"All of the national resources have already been assigned so we are on our own," said Russell. "We have to be the ones that protect us so we are also the ones that need to be responsible and do what we can to prevent any unwanted human caused fires."

The best thing we can do to help firefighters right now is not giving them more work. People can have fires at any official campground in the state, fire managers just want to let people know to be vigilant and make sure that fire is dead out.

Idaho also has a very diverse state and while it is dry in southern Idaho, there haven't been many fires up north. The Idaho Department of Lands has been able to send resources from up north to other areas in the state.