Fire season 2010 ending, another Firewise community crops up
BOISE - Wild fires in the Treasure Valley were active as ever this year. Although we're not out of the woods just yet as Saturday's three acre fire at lucky peak proved, the season is coming to a close with colder weather and more rain.
"We still see a few smaller fires here and there but we definitely don't see it like at the peak of fire season," Mallory Eils with Boise's Bureau of Land Management said.
Fire season 2010 saw nearly 58,000 acres burned. That's about 4,000 above the ten-year average. The number of fires, however, is on par.
Sunday a four-year effort finally paid off in southeast Boise. Those in the Warm Springs Mesa neighborhood officially accepted the national Firewise community designation. It's only the sixth in the Valley to do so.
"It takes a lot of work and good relations with the fire agencies," Boise Fire Division Chief Bruce Rankin said.
He adds that foothills fires are challenging and these efforts will pay off.
"It is much easier to help people who have helped themselves," he said.
Steps to become Firewise include landscaping with a defensible space, building smart, working with fire departments, and making evacuation plans.
"it spread and took over this entire mesa," Dan Arnhols remembers when a big grass fires threatened many homes several years ago.
He's now the chairman of the Firewise committee for the neighborhood association and says they've worked hard to come together and get this done.
"In ten to 20 minutes we could start losing our homes," he said. "By reducing the fuel we hope to buy them time. Hopefully 30 or 40 minutes time before the fire starts reaching our houses."
Idaho Firewise hopes more communities hop on board and they says it's not hard to start planning. There is more information at http://www.idahofirewise.org/
"We still see a few smaller fires here and there but we definitely don't see it like at the peak of fire season," Mallory Eils with Boise's Bureau of Land Management said.
Fire season 2010 saw nearly 58,000 acres burned. That's about 4,000 above the ten-year average. The number of fires, however, is on par.
Sunday a four-year effort finally paid off in southeast Boise. Those in the Warm Springs Mesa neighborhood officially accepted the national Firewise community designation. It's only the sixth in the Valley to do so.
"It takes a lot of work and good relations with the fire agencies," Boise Fire Division Chief Bruce Rankin said.
He adds that foothills fires are challenging and these efforts will pay off.
"It is much easier to help people who have helped themselves," he said.
Steps to become Firewise include landscaping with a defensible space, building smart, working with fire departments, and making evacuation plans.
"it spread and took over this entire mesa," Dan Arnhols remembers when a big grass fires threatened many homes several years ago.
He's now the chairman of the Firewise committee for the neighborhood association and says they've worked hard to come together and get this done.
"In ten to 20 minutes we could start losing our homes," he said. "By reducing the fuel we hope to buy them time. Hopefully 30 or 40 minutes time before the fire starts reaching our houses."
Idaho Firewise hopes more communities hop on board and they says it's not hard to start planning. There is more information at http://www.idahofirewise.org/
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