BOGUS BASIN, Idaho — Smoke may be starting to clear across the Treasure Valley, but wildfire season is far from over. At Bogus Basin, resort leaders say preparation has become essential as fires increasingly threaten ski areas across the West.
“It’s a threat that threatens all the ski areas in the U.S., unfortunately,” said Nate Shake with Mountain Operations at Bogus Basin.
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The concern is growing after a devastating wildfire season across the country. More than 6.5 million acres have burned in the United States so far this year, with fires damaging ski resorts in Utah, Montana and California.
“When you hear about a ski area getting burned over, losing lifts and facilities and they’re not going to be able to run the next season, it makes you think, what are we going to do,” Shake said.
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Even during a recent visit to Bogus Basin, a small lightning-caused brush fire sparked near the resort, serving as another reminder of the constant threat.
To prepare, Bogus Basin has spent years building a wildfire response system designed to protect both the mountain and its infrastructure.
“This is an effort we’ve been putting together for multiple years now,” Shake said.
One of the resort’s biggest tools is already built into the mountain. Bogus Basin’s snowmaking system, typically used in winter operations, doubles as a large-scale fire suppression system during the summer months. According to resort officials, the system can pump out 3,000 gallons of water per minute.
The resort has also equipped vehicles with firefighting tools, trained staff on evacuation and wildfire response procedures, and AI-powered cameras on top of Shafer Butte that can quickly detect signs of wildfire smoke.
Together, those systems are designed to help the resort respond rapidly if fire danger moves closer to the mountain.
“We need to be ready to respond however we can to protect our assets up here,” Shake said.
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