Most of BLM Idaho’s fires are determined to be human caused

SHOSHONE, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) - Over 75% of this year’s wild fires have been human caused, according to the Bureau of Land Management. There are things you can do when you go enjoy the last days of summer to help prevent a fire from starting.

What starts out as an afternoon of target shooting could end up causing devastation for the public land in Idaho.

“You know one little spark from that bullet hitting something, a rock, a piece of steel, something, can cause a blaze to go up pretty fast, and we’ve seen that the last few fires, people don’t realize how quickly that stuff can spread,” said Kelsey Brizendine, the Fire Information Officer.

With the hot, windy and dry weather conditions right now, a tiny spark can spread really quickly.

“We really struggle on those days because the fires move really quickly, and they get up and go, so it’s a really good idea to avoid target shooting on dry windy days,” said Brizendine.

While lightning caused fires can’t be stopped, people can do their part when enjoying Idaho’s lands and remember a few simple things.

“You want to make sure a campfire is cold to the touch before you leave it, if you can’t touch it, you can’t leave it, loose chains hitting asphalt can cause a spark that can go off into the road side and create a wild fire as well as the rim of a tire, so if you’re tires aren’t properly inflated or you don’t have good tread or whatever, that one spark going off into the side of the road can really cause some pretty good devastation,” said Brizendine.

It’s important to remain vigilant when enjoying the public lands.

“We are seeing a lot more people enjoying public lands, and so we just need people to remember to take care, be aware of what’s going on, make sure you have the appropriate equipment you need to be out there and make sure you are doing everything you can to remain safe,” said Brizendine.

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