Unusually high temperatures and thunderstorms already have fire crews busy.
From the Emmett Valley to south of Murphy, small grassfires have been erupting from lightning strikes generated by passing thunderstorms.
“We try to stay ahead of it as much as we can. Mother Nature sometimes she lets us, sometimes we just have to deal with what we get,” BLM Spokesman Robert Hansen explained.
Wildfire officials are also worried about the amount of available fuels in Idaho. An unusually wet spring has resulted in grasslands growing in locations that in years past never existed.
“I've seen the grass grow from three inches to a foot and a half, and it's thick, it's heavy loading, so that presents a problem for fighting fire because the fires are hotter, they can move faster, and be more difficult to extinguish and control,” Hansen said.
Officials want to remind Idahoans to keep grasses and weeds away from your property line to ensure that a spark won’t light your home on fire. For more information, visit here.
