The New Source of Smoke Over Southern Idaho

A line of thundershowers cleared the air briefly, but we woke up Friday morning in the Magic Valley under a shroud of smoke.  It’s probably not from any of the lightning strikes Thursday evening, or not all of it is related to new fires.  One of the biggest blazes in Idaho is burning in Central/Western Owyhee County.  The Silver Fire was first reported on Wednesday.  According to the Idaho Fire Map, it looks to be among the largest currently roasting in the state.  It doesn’t appear to rival the multiple blazes scorching eastern Oregon, but there’s a history of massive fires in Owyhee County.

Meanwhile, firefighters have done a marvelous job containing and limiting the Bench Lake Fire near Redfish Lake.  At the last update, containment had jumped to 58 percent.  There are nearly 350 people employed to tame the fire.

This brings up an ongoing need.  Wildland firefighters are in short supply.  If we want people to show up when our forests are ablaze, we have to consider prioritizing their work.  The pay is low, and often not year-round, even though some teams battle blazes year-round.

We live in a country where we send money overseas at the drop of a hat.  Yet, we stand back and let America burn.  We need a new approach.  Of course, some will need to overcome their antipathy to a candidate who promises to put our country first.

Here’s some encouragement, you can’t hug trees if all of them have gone up in smoke!  I’m sure that won’t soak in any time soon.