Agencies plan wildfire exercise

SANDPOINT — As wildfires rage through Northern California, Bonner County emergency responders are readying themselves for the possibility of a similar disaster in North Idaho.

On Friday, firefighters from several area departments will come together with personnel from Bonner County EMS, U.S. Forest Service, Idaho Department of Lands and Idaho State Police for a wildfire exercise designed to test the coordinated response of emergency service agencies during a large-scale incident.

The exercise, taking place in Sagle, will be simulated and semi-functional, meaning there will be no actual fire and no hoses will be deployed, said Bob Abbott, public information officer with Bonner County EMS.

The exercise will simulate a grass fire that runs up a hill into trees and threatens a number of homes.

“That’s a very real scenario around here. A very similar fire happened last year about this time in the Trestle Creek area in Clark Fork,” Abbott said.

In addition to honing the response of emergency personnel, the exercise will educate local residents on how best to keep themselves and their property safe in case of a fire.

Abbott singled out the importance of homeowners maintaining what he called a “defensible space,” which means keeping the area surrounding a home free of woody debris and vegetation.

“Prevention is better than mitigation,” Abbott said. “It’s better to prevent it than try to grab a garden hose and put it out yourself.”

After the exercise, the Local Emergency Planning Council will meet to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the agencies and offer suggestions on how best to improve the response in a real emergency.

The exercise is not open to the public, and motorists driving in the vicinity of Sagle Road and Gold Mountain Road on Monday morning are urged to use extreme caution when driving near emergency equipment and personnel.