IdahoMtnSpyder
Active member
I'd like to say a big thank you to fire fighters from down under, Australia and New Zealand, for coming to the Northwest to help fight the unbelievable number of fires we have this year. Fire fighters and equipment are here from Canada also. There are something like 35 in Idaho, 15 in Washington, and 11 in Oregon. I didn't look to see how many there are in Montana, Wyoming, and California, but it's a bunch. Many homes are threatened and folks are being evacuated in a number of situations. For an update on the fire situation around the nation go to http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/. I don't know why but some fires are still listed as active although there has been no update for many days, so I don't think they really are active. I guess folks are so busy they don't have time to go back and update extinguished fires. The manpower situation is so tight volunteers without fire fighting training are being recruited to help in background support activities.
For those who may not be aware if a fire is started by lightning or other natural means and is in a designated Wilderness area it will be allowed to burn naturally. The only defensive actions will be to protect structures of historical value that were allowed to remain in the area when it was designated a wilderness. An example is the Middle Fork Complex of fires in Idaho.
For those who may not be aware if a fire is started by lightning or other natural means and is in a designated Wilderness area it will be allowed to burn naturally. The only defensive actions will be to protect structures of historical value that were allowed to remain in the area when it was designated a wilderness. An example is the Middle Fork Complex of fires in Idaho.
