BOISE, Idaho — Governor Brad Little appeared at the National Interagency Fire Center on Friday to proclaim May as Wildfire Awareness Month.
"A little bit of carelessness by an Idaho citizen...they're not thinking about who might be in trouble," Little said at the ceremony.
RELATED | Living a fire-safe lifestyle in Idaho's Wildland Urban Interface
More people than ever live in fire-prone land within the Wildland Urban Interface. That's the transition zone between wild space and developed land. In Idaho that translates to about 300,000 homes.
Another looming threat is a lengthening fire season. It's over three weeks longer, on average, for Southwestern Idaho since the 70s, according to Climate Central.
"Nobody wants the smoke, nobody wants the fire, nobody wants the wildlife habitat damaged, but most importantly we want to keep our firefighters safe," Little said.
The Governor stressed that creating a fire resistant environment not only better protects homes, but also better protects those working to fight fires.
The majority of wildfires in Idaho are caused by humans.
