Outdoor Report

First signs of fire season have arrived

Posted 7/21/22

It finally happened. Our skyline of surrounding mountain ranges are now obscured by smoke from fires across the West. And I’m not happy.

Forget the fact that my eyes are burning and my …

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Outdoor Report

First signs of fire season have arrived

Posted

It finally happened. Our skyline of surrounding mountain ranges are now obscured by smoke from fires across the West. And I’m not happy.

Forget the fact that my eyes are burning and my nose is running like a garden hose on the brown spots of my lawn. I sneezed so loud yesterday that it scared my new blue heeler pup, Reggie. Took me 10 minutes to regain his trust. The loss of clear and inspiring views of the mountains – now an annual event as fire seasons grow longer each year — is depressing. And the fear of devastating wildfires threatening our communities and environment is glowing, like embers caught in the wind.

Currently 85 large fires and complexes have burned 3,049,339 acres in 13 states in the U.S. Fourteen new large fires were reported this week, seven in Texas, two in Alaska, two in Washington, and one each in Arizona, California and Idaho. 

More than 6,800 wildland firefighters and support personnel are assigned to incidents across the country. Eight Type 1 incident management teams and three Type 2 teams are supporting incidents in Alaska, California, Idaho, New Mexico and Utah. There is already a human toll as Grant Davis (no relation), a former Wyoming Interagency Hotshot team member, was severely burned while fighting a fire in Alaska.

Critical weather conditions are expected in parts of the Great Basin, northern Rocky Mountains, and high plains of Nebraska and South Dakota this week, the National Interagency Fire Center reports. 

Smoke is pouring into the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and the Big Horn Basin from the 21,000-acre Bray Fire in Idaho, two fires near Salmon National Forest in Montana and other fires in Utah, Nevada and California. And the landscape keeps getting drier in temperatures occasionally topping 100 degrees F.

The financial toll is hard to gauge from wildland fires, but the cost of fighting the blazes is increasing exponentially. In 1985, the cost of fighting fires was about $240 million. Last year the bill to American taxpayers was about $4.4 billion – a depressing record that continues to go up.

I wasn’t here in 1988, but I’ve had the misfortune of covering several wildland fires. I’ve seen the devastation to the environment and wildlife. I’ve watched families grieving the loss of their homes and, in some situations, their way of life. I know these fires can kill and fear heavy fuel loads in our most grandiose “backyard” destinations could flame up at any moment.

Homeowners and communities play a large role in fire safety, according to the center. “Take simple measures such as keeping streets and roads clear so fire engines can safely maneuver and residents can evacuate if needed. Make sure fire hydrants are visible and accessible. More importantly, clear flammable vegetation around structures, on large lots and along roadsides,” they advise. 

These simple prevention measures can go a long way toward reducing damages of fire to your home, community and precious natural resources.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department, National Forest Service and Yellowstone National Park officials, among others, have been watching conditions closely. The Shoshone National Forest sent out a press release Wednesday to make sure folks don’t think a fire is near when they see all the smoke.

“There are no active fires in the Shoshone National Forest. Fire danger levels continue to increase and vegetation dries out,” said Kristie Thompson, public affairs officer for the forest.

The Game and Fish has restricted campfires in critically dry areas of the state and Yellowstone increased its fire danger index to high on Wednesday.

There is much more we can do. Put out those campfires completely, do what you can to stop the spread of invasive grasses and plants and report any fires you see. Don’t assume officials are aware of a fire – make them aware.

It’s important. Lives are lost every year. The U.S. Fire Administration reported more than 3,500 deaths were caused by fires in 2021. Last year alone three firefighters lost their lives and more than 3,600 structures were destroyed.

The Redmond Smokejumper Welfare Organization is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Smokejumper and Wildland Firefighter Grant Davis on Go Fund Me: https://tinyurl.com/GrantDavisFund.

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