Crucial part of fire season upon forest

To hear the Kootenai National Forest’s acting forest fire management officer tell it, after a July where not a drop of rain was recorded by the agency, the forest has been fortunate to have only the recent lightning-strike ignitions.

“The next week will be critical,” said Dan Rose, the acting management official, told Lincoln County commissioners Wednesday. “Normally, we have as much burn after Aug. 15 as we do preceding it.”

Rose, who was addressing county officials with Kootenai National Forest Supervisor Paul Bradford, said the forest has made it through two-thirds of the fire season with just 60 fires so far, which is a little more than half of the 20-year average of 105.

“When you consider we went through all of July with no moisture, we feel fortunate. Currently, we have five fires staffed,” Rose said, indicating he expected to have those in hand by Thursday evening. “Three are in the Three-Rivers District, one just east of Bull Lake and one near Cedar Creek. If we can get through the next 10 days, we’ll be lucky,” he said.

Then Rose offered figures that seemed alarming.

“We’ve had roughly 3,000 lightning strikes in the last three days,” Rose said. “Fortunately, we got some moisture with those strikes that helped. Every day we go without another fire is a great day.”

Rose said the recent rainfall has been just what the area needed, but he cautioned in a few short days, the area will be considered dry again.

“We’ve gotten just less than an inch in the first days of August, and that has helped,” he said. “In 10 days, we’ll be dry again.”

Rose and Bradford concurred the next concern is wind.

“The wind will be increasing in the coming days, and that is a concern,” Rose said.

Troy Commissioner Ron Downey said wind is what bothers him most during fire season.

“The wind is what’s most concerning. We had some wind in July,” Downey said.

Bradford said the Forest Service backed away from issuing burning restrictions, despite the dry conditions that preceded the most recent precipitation, a fact supported by Rose.

“Education has been important. There were posters put up and other educational items, and the public responded,” Rose said.

The end of the fire season depends on conditions, not a date on the calender, Rose said.