STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK
Experts in Utah and Idaho say we’re in conditions akin to the Dust Bowl, if not worse, as rain continues to pass us by and the thermometer soars above average temperatures.
All that puts Blaine County at extreme risk for wildfires.
Get ahead of the game by watching “Be Firewise: We’re All at Risk for Wildfire.”
Ketchum Fire Chief Bill McLaughlin will offer a virtual talk at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, June 24, via the Hailey Public Library. RSVP to Kristin.fletcher@haileypubliclibrary,.org
“We’re in an extreme drought situation and have already experienced several small wildfires in our area,” said the library’s programs manager Kristin Fletcher. “It’s easy to believe that wildfire is ‘out there’ and won’t impact in-town residents but we’re all truly at risk for wildfire.
“Less than 10 years ago, the fast-moving Beaver Creek Fire forced residents of about 2,250 homes in Hailey and Ketchum to evacuate for days. And one home burned to the ground. Chief McLaughlin will discuss this year’s projected wildfire risk levels, how homes ignite and ways homeowners valley-wide can reduce the risk of a wildfire damaging homes and property.”
McLaughlin has spent 35 years fighting wildfires and helping communities develop wildfire preparedness plans across the country. He even helped the 2007 Castle Rock Fire in the Sun Valley area.
McLaughlin is an instructor for the National Fire Academy and the National Fire Protection Association where he teaches programs in wildfire planning and preparedness. He was the lead developer of the national Wildfire Evacuation Planning program and the WUI (Wildland-Urban Interface) Codes and Standards training class. He has degrees in Fire Science, Biology and Fire Administration.
ADDITIONALLY....
The Sun Valley Fire Department is holding an informal workshop that will include a discussion on wildfire behavior within the Sun Valley area, how agencies in the valley respond to the report of wildfire and what being part of a Firewise Community entails.
The meeting will be held at 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 23, at the Elkhorn Fire Station, 100 Arrowleaf Road in Sun Valley.