Man to pay cost of fighting Lemhi County fire

An Illinois man will pay $168,600 to pay the cost of suppressing the Ten Mile Fire in Lemhi County.

The fire started July 18, 2012, on land owned by Jeffrey and Paula Kerner, who regularly reside in Wadsworth, Ill.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Kerner was shooting at an exploding target on a 95 degree day when the target blew apart and ignited the fire. The fire spread and threatened at least two homes. It burned 440 acres of federal land.

U.S. Attorney for Idaho Wendy J. Olson said her office’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit resolved the government’s claim for fire suppression costs without filing a lawsuit.

Olson said the money would be used for future fire suppression efforts.

“We will continue to make strong efforts to ensure that in appropriate cases private parties who cause fires reimburse the taxpayers for putting out fires on federally managed land,” she said in a news release.