BOISE — With the official arrival of summer and warmer weather on its way, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is asking for the public's help in preventing human-caused wildfires.
According to BLM officials, fire activity is currently affecting the American Southwest and Alaska, but Idaho could be in the next group of states hit by fire season in the coming months.
“Every year, human-caused wildfires comprise approximately 87% of all wildfire ignitions across the country, posing a considerable threat to public and firefighter safety,” said William Perry Pendley, BLM Deputy Director for Policy and Programs in a BLM release. “These wildfires are preventable and this year, more than ever, our wildland firefighters need the public’s help in reducing human-caused wildfire risk.”
BLM states in Monday's release that the National Interagency Fire Center’s (NIFC) Predictive Services unit is expecting above-normal wildfire potential in Idaho, as well as other western states like Oregon, Washington, California, Nevada, Utah, Montana, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico as well as Hawaii.
“We always encourage visitors to enjoy public lands,” added Pendley. “We just ask them to enjoy their public lands responsibly; with a few simple precautions, they can reduce human-caused wildfires throughout the country. Fewer human-caused wildfires will allow our wildland firefighters to focus more on lightning-caused wildfires, which we cannot prevent.”
