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Idaho Wildfire Season Is Here, And So Are Smoky Skies

Katherine Jones
/
Idaho Statesman
A trio of fires at Lucky Peak created the Thursday morning haze in Boise.

The Treasure Valley woke up to the familiar smell of wildfire smoke Thursday morning, bringing residents back from their hopes of a smoke-free summer.

 

Idaho’s fire season got off to a slow start, but now the overgrown grasses from our wet spring are facing the summer heat. 

“Now we’re seeing hot and dry temperatures that we think will continue over the next few weeks,” says Jessica Gardetto, a spokesperson at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise. “Those hot and dry temperatures are going to dry out those grasses and fuels and then create fuel for potential wildfires.”

All of this means smoke may only get worse. Austin Walkins of the Idaho Conservation League agrees. 

“The haze is kind of settling in and I’m thrilled that it’s taken this long to get here,” Walkins says, “but I’m nervous for the next few weeks.” 

Both Gardetto and Walkins suggest limiting time outside if you know you are particularly sensitive to smoky skies. You can track air quality online at airnow.gov.

For more local news, follow the KBSX newsroom on Twitter @KBSX915

Copyright 2019 Boise State Public Radio

Molly Wampler is a newsroom intern at Boise State Public Radio. Originally from Berkeley, California, she just graduated from the University of Puget Sound in Washington state. There, Molly worked for her university's newspaper but is stoked to try her hand at and learn all there is to learn about radio journalism.

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