GIFF to Hold Field Exercises on June 4th

On Saturday, June 4, members of the Gateway Interagency Fire Front (GIFF) will conduct their annual interagency fire training exercise in Pocatello.  Approximately 60 participants are expected, representing seven local, federal, and tribal firefighting agencies.  The exercise will begin with a briefing at 10 a.m. at the Incident Command Post, the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) facility on 5^th Avenue.


Following the briefing, participants will rotate through two stations.  One, located at Blackrock Canyon, will be a wildland fire tactics station where firefighters will practice hose lays and mobile attack.  The other, located at the end of Barton Road in the East Bench, will be a structure triage training.  The purpose of structural triage is to determine how capable a building is of surviving a wildfire without intervention by firefighters as well as identifying what steps could be taken to improve the home’s defensible space. 

It is important to note that there will be increased traffic in these areas as fire trucks and other emergency vehicles shuttle between the three locations.  Residents may see signs directing those involved in the exercise.  Additionally, local fire departments will make contact with homeowners in the immediate areas where firefighters will be training. 

Any emergency, fire or medical, which would require the response on the personnel and equipment engaged in the training will take precedence, even if that means the training is cancelled altogether.

Governor Declares May as Wildfire Awareness Month

(Boise, Idaho) - Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter declared May “Wildfire Awareness Month” today as Idahoans prepare to flock to the forests for the Memorial Day holiday weekend - marking the unofficial start of summer with rising temperatures and increasing wildfire risks. 

Governor Otter joins seven other governors in the West seeking to raise public awareness of the growing threat that wildfires pose to homes and communities as more people take to wildland areas for recreation and a mountain lifestyle.  

The Wildfire Awareness Month proclamation signed today encourages all citizens to better prepare their homes and communities for wildfire, and to work toward becoming a fire-adapted community. 

Last year 321 fires burned more than 789,500 acres within Idaho Department of Lands protection areas. The total cost was $78 million as fires destroyed 75 residences and 220 outbuildings during the fire year.

The proclamation notes the importance of individual homeowners taking on greater responsibility for wildfire prevention and preparedness.  It also notes how collaborative efforts to increase survivability of homes and properties are paramount in co-existing in a wildfire environment.  

Further information regarding wildfire preparedness is available at Idaho Firewise, http://idahofirewise.org/

Wildfire Awareness Events offered in Orofino and Grangeville

The month of May has been officially proclaimed as Wildfire Awareness Month in seven western states, including Idaho.   In an effort to help educate homeowners about how to better fire-proof their homes and communities from wildfire, as well as how the public can help firefighters reduce the number of human-caused wildfires, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is focusing on three key message points during the month of May:  Plan.  Prepare.  Prevent. 

PLAN on becoming Firewise by identifying and mitigating the hazards around your home.  Visit www.idahofirewise.org for more information.

PREPARE by creating survivable space to protect your home.

PREVENT wildfires by using caution with equipment that can cause a spark.

Based on this theme, the BLM Coeur d’Alene District, in cooperation with staff from the North Idaho Fire Prevention Cooperative, will host several Wildfire Awareness events focused on fire tolerant landscaping and creating defensible space around homes.  The events are free and open to the public:

·       Orofino, Idaho:  Tuesday, May 24, 2016 at Green Things Nursery (located at 13910 US Hwy 12), from 3:00 p.m. until 5:30 p.m.            

·       Grangeville, Idaho:  Wednesday, May 25 at Green Acres Nursery (located at 125 Greenacres Lane off of Hwy 95), from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.

For more information on wildland fire prevention and community preparedness, please visit the following websites:  www.idahofireinfocom or www.fireadaptedorg.  And be sure to follow @BLMIdahoFire on Twitter for updates on fire prevention events, tips for fire preparedness, and current wildland fire information.

Twin Falls District Firewise Garden Open House CANCELLED Due to weather

The Twin Falls District Firewise Garden Open House has been  cancelled due to extreme weather conditions. The Garden continues to high light Firewise landscaping practices and is open to the public 7 days a week. The garden is free to the public. 

The Firewise Landscaping presentation, at Webb Nursery in Twin Falls, is still taking place tomorrow, May 21st, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. 

For more information contact,  Ryan Berlin or Kelsey Brizendine at 208.308.5591

Faces of Fire

Boise National Forest "Fire Prevention Patrols" back in the woods!

Wildfire Awareness Month! Say hello to your ‪#‎BoiseNF‬ Fire Prevention Patrols. 

You will see them patrolling the forest, at your local events, fighting fire, investigating fires, at schools, enforcing fire restrictions, and working with Smokey Bear. 

Their favorite topic is wildfire, so feel free to ask them questions when you see them out and about. ‪#‎BOFFire‬ ‪#‎Fireprevention‬

Wildland Fire Fighting Practice Burn Set For Thursday

BOISE, Idaho, May 16, 2016 - Nearly 40 new firefighters will participate in a practice burn as they complete “Basic Fire School” on Thursday, May 19, in preparation for the upcoming wildfire season.

The practice fire is approximately three miles east of Idaho City, near State Highway 21.

Reporters are invited to attend the practice burn. Please contact Susan Blake at 850-509-9952, for more information or if you plan to attend.

Fire Training - The South West Idaho Fire Training “SWIFT” week, is a week-long training program involving 240 firefighters. The purpose of this “basic fire school” is to give a first time firefighter a solid foundation for their new career in wildland fire and to create cohesive interagency partnerships that can be utilized throughout their fire career. The “basic fire school” takes pride in producing some of the best entry level firefighters in the country and preparing them for the constantly evolving wildfire atmosphere. Classroom training is being held at College of Western Idaho from May 16 through May 20, if reporters would like to attend any part of the training held at the CWI Campus please call in advance so instructors have an opportunity to set aside adequate time for media interviews.

Twin Falls District Wildfire Awareness Month Events Plan. Prepare. Prevent.

To help homeowners plan and prepare for the upcoming fire season, the Twin Falls District  BLM and Resource Conservation & Development will host an open house at the CSI Breckenridge Firewise Garden, Friday, May 20, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. This open house will highlight examples of Firewise Landscaping.  Firewise experts will also share tips on how to prevent the spread of wildfire.

Additionally, a Firewise presentation will be given at Webb Nursery in Twin Falls. Firewise expert, Lorraine Simonson of the RC&D, will present to homeowners the importance of Firewise Landscaping, tips on how to get started and plants best suited to prevent the spread of wildfire. This event will take place Saturday, May 21, 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. at Webb Nursery. Both events are free to the public. 

For more information, contact Kelsey Brizendine, 208-732-7315 or 208-308-5991.

Oregon Trail 4th Graders to Grow Firewise Plants

Planting Day will teach the importance of using Firewise plants

SHOSHONE, ID - The Twin Falls District Bureau of Land Management along with the Mid-Snake Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) and Oregon Trail 4^th Graders invite members of the media to a planting day. The planting event will take place at Auger Falls, from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.  on Friday, May 13.

Students from Oregon Trail Elementary School spent the last several months growing a variety of Firewise plants and learning how each plant works to prevent the spread of wildfire. Each student was given one species of plant to grow and report back to their classmates about its growth and role in Firewise Landscaping.

“After months of growing and nurturing the plants, the students are excited to have the opportunity to plant them. They look forward to showing their friends and family how well their plants grew,” saidMid-Snake RC&D Fire Educator, Lorraine Simonson.  

During the event on Friday, approximately 120 4^th graders will tour the CSI Firewise Garden before heading to Auger Falls to plant a combination of Lambs Ear, Soapwart, and Penstemon plants.

For more information, contact Ryan Berlin, Fire Information Officer 208-308-5991.

Annual BLM Fire Prevention Order in Effect

Another fire season is approaching and BLM Idaho is asking for help preventing human-caused fires. BLM Idaho State Director Tim Murphy recently signed the 2016 Fire Prevention Order prohibiting specific fire-related activities on BLM public lands in Idaho from May 10 to October 20. 

“The goal of the annual fire prevention order  is to reduce the number of unnecessary wildfires.  The BLM appreciates your efforts to protect our public lands - one of our nation’s greatest treasures,” says Murphy.


Historically, less than half of wildfires in Idaho are caused by humans.  However, in 2015, almost 60% of BLM fires in Idaho were human-caused.  Those 84 fires burned over 31,000 acres.


The Bureau of Land Management's annual Fire Prevention Order becomes effective today and specifically prohibits the following on all public lands within the state:

• Discharging, using, or possessing fireworks,
• Discharging a firearm using incendiary or tracer ammunition, and
• Burning, igniting, or causing to burn explosive materials, including exploding targets.

Eastern Idaho Observes Wildfire Awareness Month

As part of Wildfire Awareness Month, Idaho Falls District BLM will be hosting or participating in a number of activities across Eastern Idaho between May 9 and 14.  Events that are free and open to the public include:

• Wednesday, May 11 -Idaho Falls Public Library, 9:30 AM and 10:30 AM
  • Read with a Firefighter!  BLM firefighters will be attending Story Time to read books about Fire Safety.
    

• Friday, May 13 - Zoo Idaho, Pocatello, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
  •  At Zoo Idaho’s Endangered Species Day event, BLM staff will be one of several booths highlighting the sage grouse and their importance to the sagebrush ecosystem.
    

• Saturday, May 14 - Town & Country Gardens, Idaho Falls, 10:00 AM
  • The BLM and Idaho Firewise are hosting a one-hour educational class to teach homeowners about defensible space and landscaping that is both beautiful and fire resistant. 

Hens and chicks are fire resistant, require little water, and
are an example of the kind of plant that can help make your home Firewise.

During the month of May, Idaho BLM is encouraging homeowners and residents to PLAN, PREPARE, and PREVENT as wildland fire season approaches. 

PLAN on becoming Firewise by identifying and mitigating the hazards around your home.  Visit www.idahofirewise.org for help.

 

PREPARE by creating survivable space to protect your home.

 

PREVENT wildfires by using caution with equipment that can cause a spark.


For more information on wildland fire prevention and community preparedness, visit www.idahofirewise.org, or www.fireadaptedorg.  And follow @BLMIdahoFire on Twitter for updates on events, tips for fire preparedness, and current fire information.

BioBlitz is Coming to Craters of the Moon!

Contacts: Jim Bromberg and Sandra Gladish

Phone Number: 208-527-1335

(Arco, Idaho) - Grab your magnifying glass and explore nature at Craters of the Moon, like never before! On May 14th, Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve will participate in the National Parks BioBlitz (https://www.nps.gov/subjects/biodiversity/national-parks-bioblitz.htm). BioBlitz is a fun, fast-paced biological survey of a park’s creepers and crawlers, plants and pollinators, mammals and more! The National Park Service is celebrating its 100th birthday with more than 100 BioBlitzes across the country.

During this free event, teams of scientists, naturalists, students and volunteers will discover and document lichens of Craters of the Moon. Come explore, discover, and learn! 

The May 14th event will start at 10 a.m. with a welcome ceremony in front of the visitor center.  Inventory groups will head out into the field at 11 a.m. and will return to headquarters between by 3 p.m.  As part of the BioBlitz festival, activities for children and families, educational videos, and talks and demonstrations will occur throughout the day inside and in front of the visitor center. A lichen dye artisan will demonstrate how to use lichens as natural dyes. Staff from the Idaho National Laboratory will help children of all ages create their own Snake River Plain Aquifers, dissect owl pellets, and bake cookies using a solar oven! Lichenologists will be present to answer expert questions. Come and engage in hands-on science activities. The festival will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The festival is free and open to the public.

If you would like to participate in a field survey group, be sure to bring sturdy shoes for walking across basaltic lava flows and call the Craters of the Moon visitor center at 208-527-1335 to sign up.

American Express is the national sponsor of the 2016 National Parks BioBlitz. Craters of the Moon Natural History Association and the Idaho Geographic Alliance- University of Idaho are important partners in this event.

Explorers of all ages are needed. All events are free and open to the public. Whether you have a couple of hours or a full day, there are activities to engage the whole family. To learn more about the National Parks BioBlitz and activities go to:

www.nps.gov/crmo

go.nps.gov/2016bioblitz

natgeo.org/bioblitz

Firewise Landscaping classes scheduled for the Boise area

Come out to join the BLM-Boise District and Idaho Firewise to learn about Firewise landscaping!

May is -Wildfire Awareness Month- Plan. Prepare. Prevent.

Eight western governors, including Idaho’s Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter, have proclaimed May “Wildfire Awareness Month.  Throughout the month, residents are encouraged to learn how to better protect their homes and communities from wildfire, and how they can help firefighters reduce the number of human-caused fires. In Idaho, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has chosen to focus on the theme: “Plan-Prepare-Prevent.”

These three simple words are meant to serve as helpful reminders for the public. Plan on becoming Firewise by identifying the hazards around your home. Prepare by creating survivable space to protect your home. And Prevent wildfires this summer by using caution with anything that can cause a spark.

Multiple activities are planned across the state to help educate and prepare residents for the upcoming fire season. These activities include informative tours at Firewise gardens and educational classes at selected nurseries. These tours and presentations will be offered free of charge by Idaho BLM and Idaho Firewise.

Boise:

·         May 6^th - North End Organic Nursery, educational presentation begins at 6:00 PM

·         May 7^th - Firewise Garden Open House/Tour at the Idaho Botanical Gardens from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM

·         May 21^st - 36 Street Garden Center, educational presentation begins at 11:00 AM

·         May 25^th - Farwest Landscape, educational presentation begin at 6:00 PM

Eastern Idaho:

·         May 13^th - Firewise Garden Demonstration at the Zoo in Pocatello, Idaho, time TBD

·         May 14^{th -} Town & County Garden Center in Idaho Falls,  8:00 AM to 1:00 PM, educational presentation begins at 10:00 AM

Twin Falls:

·         May 20^th - Firewise Garden Open House/Tour at the CSI Breckenridge Endowment Farm from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM

·         May 21^st - Webb Nursery,  11:00 AM to 3:00 PM , educational presentation begins at 11:00 AM

Northern Idaho:

·         May 24^th - Green Things Nursery in Orofino, educational booth will be available starting at 3:00 PM to 5:30 PM

·         May 25^th - Green Acres Nursery in Grangeville, educational booth will be available starting at 11:00 AM  to 1:00 PM

Additionally, the National Fire Protection Association identified May 7 as National Wildfire Community Preparedness Day.

For more information on wildland fire prevention and community preparedness, visit www.idahofireinfo.blogspot.com, www.idahofirewise.org, or http://fireadpated.org/. And follow @BLMIdahoFire on Twitter for updates on events, tips for fire preparedness, and current fire information.