On average, nine fires spark each year along Interstate 84, burning more than 1,000 acres. Now, the Bureau of Land Management is partnering with various agencies to cut down on the risk of roadside wildfires.
Fire officials are building a firebreak along a 10-mile stretch of the highway to keep fire starts from trailer chains or hot mufflers to a minimum.
The Bureau of Land Management Boise District, Idaho Transportation Department, and Mountain Home Rural Fire Protection Association will build a firebreak on I-84 between Boise and Mountain Home. Crews will use a tractor to take out hazardous fuels between the interstate and public and private lands.
The firebreak will be 10 miles long, between Simco Road and Ditto Creek Road. It will stretch 8-to-16 feet along the outside of the westbound lane of the highway.
The new firebreak will help prevent any fire starts along the highway from spreading. It will also provide a buffer between the highway and wildfires that start away from the road.
ITD and the BLM already work together along other parts of I-84 to reduce the risk of wildfires. Crews mow, apply herbicide, and grade the roadside to help keep fire risk down.
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