IDAHO CITY, Idaho — The National Forest, the Bureau of Land Management and the Idaho Department of Lands put phase one fire restrictions in place on Friday, August 7.
The area basically includes all public and state land from eastern Idaho to our region to the panhandle, which now has level two restrictions. It's a move fire managers are doing in hopes of preventing the next big wildfire.
"So we are in what is called national preparedness level five and we have been for quite some time," said Andrew Hostad of the Boise National Forest. "Any new fires will strain the system that much more; there is less resources to go around and so preventing any fire that we can is what we need to do right now."
WATCH|Check out the video to see what stage one restrictions mean for recreation
So what do these fire restrictions mean if you are heading out to enjoy public lands? The big one is no campfires or charcoal fires are allowed at dispersed camping areas. People can still have a campfire if it's at a designated campsite with metal grates like Grayback Gulch Campground in the Boise National Forest.
"Those campgrounds have more amenities typically, they are more developed with camp hosts, where some of our dispersed sites are way back in areas not many people travel," said Hostad. "Currently, all the Boise National Forest lands are under stage one fire restrictions."
I found a dispersed campsite just up the road from Grayback Gulch where people would not be allowed to have a fire, and that includes Bureau of Land Management land and Idaho Department of Lands.
I talked with Sharla Arledge of IDL, who told me fire districts meet on a weekly basis to determine conditions and make decisions. The districts in Idaho made blanket restrictions to make it simple for the public to understand. She told me it works, and Hostad agreed.
"It is a true total partnership and the reason we do that is to limit the confusion to the public," said Hostad. "We try to go in with our partners and make that consistent."
During stage one fire restrictions, people can use metal stoves and propane or liquid stoves like a Jet Boil. However, smoking is not allowed except in enclosed vehicles and buildings.
"We just ask, as always, if we are in restrictions or not, that people are careful with every activity they are doing while they are enjoying their public lands," said Hostad.
Idaho Power also banned campfires from their sites, and the fire restrictions that are basically in place in every direction you go from Boise and will be in place until October 31.
However, that could change either way depending on where we go from here. It's an important time to recreate responsibly with so much of the West on fire right now.
