A total of 80 fires have burned on the Boise District of the Bureau of Land Management this year. Malloy Eils of the BLM says 61 of those have been caused by humans.
This ratio is pretty normal. Seventy-five-percent of fires in a season are usually human caused. Eils says what’s been on the rise, though, is the number of fires. She says it’s because of extra dry conditions.
“It’s really just a great reminder to people to be careful when they’re out recreating that we are at what they say are called critical fuel moistures,” Eils says. “The grass and sage out in the desert and out in public lands are really dry right now so the fires can start much more easily than they maybe have in the past, so be extra careful.”
Eils says the fire season has been late the last few years due to wetter springs. She says that could be a reason why people are starting more fires now: they aren’t used to such dangerous conditions.
Vehicles cause many fires started by humans, whether it’s a dragging chain on a trailer or hot exhaust. Eils urges people not to drive or park on dry grass.
She doesn’t predict relief from the fire season until the fall.
Meanwhile, in the BLM’s Twin Falls district, officials say about half the fires started there this season have been caused by humans. The others are attributed to lightning.