Eastern Idaho fire danger increasing

Faced with hot, dry and windy weather conditions, the Eastern Idaho Interagency Fire Center has increased the region’s fire potential.

A cool, wet spring created an abundance of grass across eastern Idaho. After two weeks of hot, dry conditions, those fuels are drying out quickly.

The Idaho Falls District Bureau of Land Management has moved the region into “High Fire Danger”.

While the Caribou-Targhee National Forest is still in “moderate” fire danger, people are still encouraged to use extreme care with fire.

Fireworks are prohibited on all lands managed by both agencies across the state. Many counties have also instituted open burn bans due to extreme fire conditions.

The Fire Center offered these tips:

Ask yourself these questions as you travel, recreate, and celebrate this holiday weekend:

On the road:

Are your tires properly inflated?

When was the last time you greased your wheel bearings?

Are your trailer safety chains dragging on the pavement?

Are you driving or parking in tall, dry grasses?

At home:

Have you mowed the tall, annual grasses around your home before they cure out?

Is your lawn green and maintained or dry and brown?

At the campground:

Are you building your campfire in a ring and away from flammable materials?

Do you have a shovel, bucket, and water nearby?

Is your campfire completely out? If it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot to leave.