Prescribed Field Burning Possible Today, Expanded Pre-Evacuation Notifications
BOUNDARY COUNTY — County residents may see several fields being burned today by private landowners on the east side of the Kootenai River.
These field burns have been coordinated with the U.S. Forest Service and Idaho Department of Lands as a preemptive measure to reduce available fuels which reduces the likelihood of spot fires in the river valley caused by airborne embers from fires to the west, which are now known collectively as the Kootenai River Complex, Andrew O'Neel Director, Office of Emergency Management/PIO said in a press release.
“The field burns will not be started until the current temperature inversion lifts, so as not to further degrade air quality by adding to the trapped smoke,” he said.
The southward expansion of the Scotch Fire Sept. 2 has prompted the notification of about a dozen more homes on Westside Road to be in the “Set” stage of evacuation preparation.
Residents of Westside Road from the Kootenai Wildlife Refuge north to Ball Creek are “Set” to evacuate if fire conditions change. Two helicopters dropped water on the Scotch Fire continually yesterday, successfully keeping the fire from moving downslope towards Westside Road. Crews continue working today along Westside Road to protect homes.
The Scotch Fire was started by a lightning strike near Scotch Creek in the Ball Creek drainage and was last estimated at 494 acres. A Northern Rockies Type 2 Incident Management Team will be taking over management of the Kootenai River Complex fires on Sunday, September 4.
The Kootenai River Complex consists of The Eneas Peak Fire, the Trout Fire, the Russell Mountain Fire, the Scotch Fire, and the Katka Fire and is estimated to be 6,984 Acres.
The Boundary County fairgrounds has barns open for livestock that need to be evacuuated from thier homes. Owners are still responsible for care and feeding. Stop by the office and give them your contact info and number of animals. Owners are responsible for feeding, watering and cleaning. After hours, the forms will be on a clipboard by the fair office door with instructions. Emergency phone numbers are on the office door.
Emergency numbers: Office 208.267.7041, Jodi at home: 208.267.8632, cell 509.786.9593, Ben: 208.290.1413
Boundary County Emergency Information Hotline is: 208-696-2626. Updates to any emergencies in the county, including evacuations and when it is safe to return from an evacuation, will be in a recorded message on this hotline. Put it in your contacts so you have it handy.
As a reminder, civilian drones are not allowed around active fires. Flying drones near an emergency scene is against the law and will interfere with firefighting aircraft, working against the firefighters on scene.