Fire Restrictions Expand to New Areas in Southwest and Central Idaho

Boise, ID - With the continuation of hot, dry conditions and very high fire danger throughout southwest and central Idaho, local wild land fire protection agencies have expanded Stage 1 Fire Restrictions, effective Monday, August 13, 2012 beginning at 12:01 a.m. The expanded area includes private and agency lands protected by the Boise, Payette, and Sawtooth National Forests; Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) Forest Protection Districts, Southern Idaho Timber Protection Association, and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Field Offices within the areas listed below. With the expansion, the area under Stage 1 Fire Restrictions now includes:

• All private, State, and BLM protected lands outside incorporated city limits within Ada, Boise, Canyon, Elmore, Gem, Owyhee, Payette, Washington counties, and portions of Idaho, Adams, Valley, Custer, Elmore, Camas and Blaine counties; 
• All Boise National Forest lands within Boise, Elmore, Gem and Ada counties, and a portion of Valley County;
• All Payette National Forest lands within Adams, Washington and Idaho counties, and a portion of Valley County; and 
• All Sawtooth National Forest lands within Elmore and Camas counties, and portions of Blaine and Custer counties.

For a detailed map of the new restriction area please, visit: http://www.idahofireinfo.blm.gov/southwest/firerestrictions.htm.

Restriction information will be updated on August 11 to South Central Idaho Interagency Dispatch Center at http://www.idahofireinfo.blm.gov/south/firerestrictions.html. The additional Stage 1 Fire Restrictions will remain in effect until further notice. The restrictions are being implemented by federal and state agencies providing wild land fire protection in the area, including the BLM, Boise National Forest, Payette National Forest, Sawtooth National Forest, and Idaho Department of Lands. These restrictions are intended to decrease the chance of any preventable fires in the designated areas. The previous Stage 1 Restrictions, effective July 6, 2012 in south central Idaho and July 17, 2012 in southwestern Idaho, which included much of the lower-elevation grasslands, remain in effect.

Under State 1 Fire Restrictions, the following acts are prohibited on the restricted state and federally managed lands, roads and trails:

• Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire, stove fire except within a designated recreation site, or on their own land, and only within an owner-provided structure.
• Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle, building or designated recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials.

Following are exemptions to the Stage 1 Fire Restrictions:

• Persons with a written permit that specifically authorizes the otherwise prohibited act. 
• Persons using fire solely by liquid petroleum or LPG fuels. Such devices, including propane campfires, may be used in an area cleared of flammable material.
• Persons conducting activities in those designated areas where the activity is specifically authorized by written posted notice.
• Any federal, state or local officer or member of an organized rescue or firefighting force in the performance of an official duty. 
• All land within a city boundary. 
• Other exemptions unique to each agency.