Fire restrictions

This year is pretty striking. The east is inundated with rain...the west is the hottest and driest it has ever been, and far earlier in the season.

All of Idaho, except parts of our huge wilderness tracts in the central part of the state, are now under stage one restrictions for the entirety of the southern part, and stage two for the entirety of the northern part. The National Guard are now activated.

Just a reminder, it's a horrible fire year, and so widespread it seemed reasonable to pop this up in General Climbing.

Please be super careful, even of not so obvious things like chains dragging on a utility trailer, or parking your car on the shoulder...in dry grass. 

Best of luck to all of us, eh? H.

It's time to bring back frontier justice...for anyone who starts forest fires. 

Luigi Mwrote:

It's time to bring back frontier justice...for anyone who starts forest fires. 

Regular justice works just fine.

A 19 year old got the firefighting bill here, for a big foothills fire from his illegal fireworks. Over $450,000. Just the firefighting. That's before whatever civil suit ever comes up for the house that burned.

Great way to start "adulthood" with a bang, eh?

Best, H.

Luigi Mwrote:

It's time to bring back frontier justice...for anyone who starts forest fires. 

Lol, let's! 

Seriously though, didn't the kid that started the Eagle Creek fire get ordered to pay like $30 million? He's never going to pay that. Even half a million in H's example probably isn't going to happen. Dunno what's reasonable when a being a stupid kid can cause way more damage than a lifetime of work is going to fix. Be safe; and also tell your kids these aren't the same forests we got away with being stupid in.

JonasMRwrote:

Lol, let's! 

Seriously though, didn't the kid that started the Eagle Creek fire get ordered to pay like $30 million? He's never going to pay that. Even half a million in H's example probably isn't going to happen. Dunno what's reasonable when a being a stupid kid can cause way more damage than a lifetime of work is going to fix. Be safe; and also tell your kids these aren't the same forests we got away with being stupid in.

Most fires here are still lightning caused. That's true mainly because a hefty percentage of the state is pretty empty. But, as more people are involved, that ups the probabilities, unfortunately.

Fireworks is an extreme of stupid. 

But, very scarily, there was recently a fire in Almo, near the corner where you turn to go to City of Rocks. It was put out quickly by whoever was around, largely the Park staff, but still a frightening couple acres. The irony? It started when roadside mowing sparked hitting a rock. It was also on the far side of the road from Smoky Mountain, City of Rocks RV, and didn't head toward Rock City, which was pure dumb luck. Almo was only a few hundred feet from disaster.

Re run of the mill stupid?

Most all of that happens where people live. Yeah, someone might get charged, they certainly go after arsonists, but if you are merely stupid and dump your barbeque coals when they're hot, there's a whole system in place to get after that fire in anything remotely like a town. 

Out on BLM land? 

Scary as hell. 

One near me a few years ago?

Topped out at 280,000 acres.

Two jet tankers flew out of Boise yesterday, and came back, working something "local" north and east of the Sawtooths. North of Challis.

So yeah, those bills won't be paid, but just might remind people they are responsible for their actions, intended or not.

Best, Helen

Old lady Hwrote:

Regular justice works just fine.

Regular justice is a fucking joke in this country. Read a newspaper and tell me I'm wrong. 

Justice is a fucking joke. Read any religious text and tell me I'm wrong. 

JonasMRwrote:

Justice is a fucking joke. Read any religious text and tell me I'm wrong. 

You’re going to have to wait and see on that one 

We have an issue with moorland fires over this side of the pond. When its dry, which yes does happen sometimes in the Uk, the ground itself can become flammable due to peat deposits as well as the heather etc. A lot of popular climbing areas are in this kind of landscape and so its of real importance to climbers to get how easy this stuff burns. Big issue in recent years has been disposable BBQs, the BMC has a whole campaign about it.

https://www.thebmc.co.uk/disposable-bbq-moorland-ban-no-moor-bbq

One grocery/supermarket chain has just flat out stopped selling them at stores within the National Parks.

https://www.thebmc.co.uk/coop-bans-disposable-barbecues-sales-national-park-stores

In arizona a lot of the climbing areas got burnt and are under burn closures this summer. 

As far as I'm aware, lower devils canyon, oak flats, paradise forks all have access issues now because of fires.

Best to follow the forest services closures and allow the places to heal.