Fire danger tops out in county

SANDPOINT — A prolonged stretch of high temperatures, drying winds and low humidity have bumped the fire danger to high in Bonner County.

“The fire danger moved to high this morning and we don’t see any relief coming before the Fourth of July,” Sagle Fire Chief Rob Goodyear said on Wednesday.

Measurable precipitation has not fallen on the area in more than a week. The University of Idaho Research & Extension Center in Sandpoint measured 0.30 inches of rain on June 18. There was 0.09 inches on June 22 and 0.12 inches the following day.

The addition of fireworks and the influx of visitors who might be unaware of local conditions and firmly entrenched in a vacation mindset stand to make the situation even more combustible.

“The residents that are out there get extremely nervous,” Goodyear said.

Bonner County hews to the state of Idaho’s laws governing fireworks, according to Goodyear.

State code prohibits aerial fireworks which travel outside a 15-foot perimeter or emit sparks or other burning material. Firecrackers, jumping jacks and other fireworks of a similar ilk are also prohibited.

Idaho law allows common non-aerial fireworks such as sparklers, smoke devices, spinners, fountains and other items which remain on or near the ground.

Violating the state’s fireworks law is a misdemeanor, said Idaho State Fire Marshal Bob Larson. Moreover, parents and guardians of minors who set off fireworks can be held responsible for damages if something goes awry.

“This was in there when the law was passed in 1997 and hasn’t changed,” Larson said. “Nothing in the fireworks law has changed since 1997.”

But that’s not for a lack of trying.

Idaho regulates the importation of fireworks and there was proposed legislation several years ago to cinch up a loophole concerning the exportation. But the measure fizzled in committee.

“We didn’t even get the bill printed,” Larson said.

The use of fireworks of any kind is strictly forbidden on Idaho Panhandle National Forest and Bureau of Land Management lands 365 days a year. All-terrain vehicle and motorcycle riders are required to have approved spark-arresting devices. Between May 10 and Oct. 20, they also have to pack a shovel and a bucket (helmets can be used as a substitute for a bucket).

Inattentive campers and debris burners have been keeping the Idaho Department of Lands busy in the Pend Oreille supervisory area.

“We’ve had 13 fires so far this season and 12 of them were human caused,” said IDL Fire Warden Chris Remsen.

Collectively, the fires burned approximately 10 acres, said Remsen. The most recent fire occurred on Monday at Antelope Lake east of Clark Fork. It’s suspected a poorly extinguished campfire sparked the blaze.

“The origin wasn’t obvious, but it was definitely where there was a lot of human activity,” he said.