Stage One Fire Restrictions to be lifted in eastern Idaho
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Idaho Falls District, Idaho Department of Lands, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Caribou-Targhee National Forest (NF) are lifting Stage One Fire Restrictions effective Friday, August 27 at 12:01 a.m.
“The recent rainy weather which brought over an inch of precipitation to the region has moderated the adverse fire conditions we were experiencing in eastern Idaho. After careful consideration of the fire restriction guidelines fire managers have decided to rescind the current stage 1 fire restrictions” said Martell Gibbons Assistant Fire Management Officer for the Caribou/Targhee National Forest. “This doesn’t mean we are out of the woods regarding the potential for wildfires occurring. There are still a couple of months of recreation ahead of us and fire managers ask everybody to be diligent in preventing wildfires and extinguishing their campfires.”
Stage One Fire Restrictions will be lifted on all lands managed by the BLM Idaho Falls District, Idaho Department of Lands including state endowment lands, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Caribou-Targhee National Forest and privately owned forested lands in Bannock, Bonneville, Bingham, Bear Lake, Butte, Cassia, Custer, Clark, Caribou, Fremont, Franklin, Jefferson, Lemhi, Madison, Power, Teton Counties and a portion of Blaine and Oneida Counties. Restrictions for the Caribou-Targhee NF include all CTNF-managed lands in Lemhi County, Idaho, and Teton and Lincoln Counties, Wyoming, and Box Elder County, Utah.
Lifting the restrictions means the public is free to build a campfire, use a charcoal barbecue, or smoke outside of designated campgrounds and recreation sites. Fire managers are reminding people that eastern Idaho is currently in moderate fire danger but will be trending back to high fire danger with the return of warm and dry weather, and to use water to put out all campfires and to soak all charcoal and hot ash from barbecue grills and stoves.
The BLM Fire Prevention Order remains in effect for all BLM-managed lands within Idaho. This order prohibits discharging, using or possessing fireworks, discharging a firearm using incendiary, steel core or tracer ammunition, or burning, igniting or causing to burn explosive material, including exploding targets. Fireworks and exploding targets are always prohibited on National Forest lands.
Contact your local fire department for any fire restrictions on private or county-managed lands. For additional information on Stage One Fire Restrictions, please visit http://www.idahofireinfo.com/p/fire-restrictions.html or call the Idaho Fire Restrictions Hotline at 1.844.433.4737.
