TWIN FALLS — Unusually dry and warm conditions have lead to an early start to a fire season that is expected to worsen over the coming months.
The Magic Valley has experienced a number of small fires already this year, including multiple in the South Hills and one that burned 40 acres in the Snake River Canyon near Pillar Falls on June 5.
The National Weather Service issued the area’s first red flag warning this week, signifying critical fire conditions for parts of Twin Falls and Cassia counties.
Matt Filbert, fire management officer for the Sawtooth National Forest, said the fire season is about a month ahead of what he would call normal.
The forest experienced its first large fire on May 15, when the Elk Fire burned more than 40 acres near Stanley. Prior to this, the earliest large fire to burn in the forest took place June 2, 2014. And at the time, that was the earliest the forest had experienced a large fire in more than 30 years.
Watch now: Helicopter drops water on fire near Pillar Falls
“Fire seasons are getting longer on both ends,” Filbert said. “They are starting earlier, ending later and generally are more intense.”
Idaho State Forester Craig Foss emphasized this point to members of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Water, Oceans and Wildlife while discussing the need for federal policy to aid in forest restoration efforts during a hearing last month.
“Idaho, like much of the West, is experiencing wildfire seasons that are 30-60 days longer due to climate change,” Foss said in his testimony.
The early start to this year’s fire season is due to various factors, Filbert said. These include a dry summer a year ago, lower than normal snowpack in the mountains and a dry start to this summer.
According to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Twin Falls County received about 4.12 inches of precipitation from January through May, which is 2.3 inches less than the county averaged during that same time span from 1901 through 2000.
“The dead fuels are drier for this time of year than average and the live fuels — that being shrubs and trees — are not as full of moisture as would be average for this time of year,” Filbert said. “As those fuels continue to dry out with the warm, dry spells we continue to expect, the conditions continue to worsen.”
Almost all of the West is experiencing some level of drought, and in Idaho, Blaine County is feeling the worst of it. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor map, much of the county is experiencing extreme or exceptional drought.
The rest of the Magic Valley is experiencing either moderate or severe drought conditions. And these conditions are expected to persist throughout the summer, according to the National Weather Service’s Climate Predication Center.
The dry conditions are not only affecting the forests. The Twin Falls District of the Bureau of Land Management is dealing with fires in the desert, like the Birch Fire which burned nearly 600 acres near Goose Creek Reservoir this week.
Kelsey Brizendine, spokesperson for the district’s fire management program, said it is not uncommon to see smaller fires in the desert at this time of the year, but the existing conditions are not normal.
Bureau of Land Management firefighters are trained on cutting down trees Friday, June 11, 2021, near Kimberly.
“It is unusually dry, and it is getting hot, so that definitely is going to change how fires burn and where they burn and how long they go,” Brizendine said.
However, there is one potential benefit of this lack of moisture. The annual invasive grasses did not grow as thick or heavy this year, which has left more room for native grasses that grow farther apart and are more resistant to fire.
This lower level of fuel could help limit the size of fires that break out in the desert this summer.
“We always prepare for the worst and hope for the best,” Brizendine said.
Given the dry conditions, forest service officials are considering implementing some restrictions on activities allowed in the forest, Filbert said. The first stage of restrictions, which officials are discussing, would limit campfires to developed campgrounds only. Generally speaking, these are the campgrounds that charge a fee.
If weather predictions hold true, Filbert said, the forest service could implement stage two restrictions at some point this summer. This would prohibit all campfires in the forest and restrict activities involving mechanical equipment at certain times of the day, such as cutting down trees for firewood or timber sales. The forest has only reached stage two once over the last 20 years.
These restrictions could become necessary as 70% of the fires in the forest are the result of human activity. The other 30% are usually the result of lightning strikes.
“We always want the public to be careful when dealing with any form of fire,” Filbert said. “This year in particular, we need them to be extra cautious and aware of any restrictions once we put those into place.”
PHOTOS: Fire burns near Pillar Falls
The Link LonkJune 12, 2021 at 09:00PM
https://www.kpvi.com/news/national_news/unusually-dry-hot-conditions-could-lead-to-active-fire-season-in-magic-valley/article_fd3432a9-7145-5cb2-96e4-2962325b6cc3.html
Unusually dry, hot conditions could lead to active fire season in Magic Valley - KPVI News 6
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