Rain in the forecast has the city of Weiser shifting worry from wildfires to flash flooding in the aftermath of recent fire activity.
Intense wildfires that burned into the city left behind large burn scars that can quickly turn into mudslides if excessive rain comes down. These scars can have impacts on the land for years after a fire has burned there.
As we've reported, the Tartar Fire burned across thousands of acres near Weiser.
Pastor Mark Burgess remembers watching the flames move across the hillsides in the middle of the night.
“I could see the hillside up just north of us was completely on fire,” said Burgess, pastor of Cornerstone Assembly of God.
As the fire spread closer to the community, Burgess said many residents turned to faith and each other for support.
“As soon as we saw that the fire was going, we were praying like crazy,” Burgess said. “We have a pretty active prayer chain, and we have people that live in rural areas.”
Today, those once-flaming hills are now scarred. While the immediate threat of wildfire has passed, a new concern is emerging for residents living near the burn area: flash flooding.
The Tartar Fire burned roughly 158,000 acres near Weiser, leaving behind large areas of scorched terrain. According to the National Weather Service, burn scars like these can become vulnerable to flash flooding when heavy rain arrives because vegetation that normally absorbs rainfall has been destroyed.
“Now it comes into the fall and the rain’s going to come, and eventually the snow’s going to come, so we know it’s coming,” Burgess said.
Despite recovering from one natural disaster, Burgess says the community is prepared to face whatever challenges come next.
“It’s a strong community and a lot of people that care about a lot of people,” he said.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
