STORY BY LISA ENOURATO
PHOTO BY MUFFY RITZ
Due to the current threat of wildfire danger, Ketchum Fire Chief Bill McLaughlin has implemented Fire Restrictions on all public and private lands, roads and trails situated within the boundaries of the City of Ketchum.
Under Stage 1 Fire Restrictions, the following acts are prohibited within the City of Ketchum on public and private lands, roads and trails:
- Open fires and campfires
- Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle, building or designated recreation site, or in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials
The following are exemptions to the Stage 1 Fire Restrictions:
- Persons with a written permit that specifically authorizes the otherwise prohibited acts
- Persons using fire fueled solely by liquid petroleum or liquid petroleum gas (LPG) fuels. Such devices, including propane campfires, may be used only in an area cleared of flammable material.
- Fully enclosed metal stove, grill, or sheep herder type stove with a chimney at least five feet in length and a spark arrester with a mesh screen and screen of ¼ inch or less.
- Any federal, state or local officer, or member of an organized rescue or firefighting force in the performance of an official duty.
Fire restrictions are intended to decrease the chance of any preventable fires in the designated areas. With the fire season well underway, these restrictions are intended to keep citizens and visitors safe, as well as prevent dangerous and damaging wildfires.
These restrictions will remain in place until midnight on Oct. 31, 2022. For additional information, contact the City of Ketchum Fire Department at 208-726-7805.
DRONE INCURSION SHUTS DOWN AIR OPERATIONS
A drone incursion Sunday at Smiley Creek forced firefighters to shut down air operations there temporarily on Sunday. When air activity resumed, firefighters dropped water near Vienna Creek and the headwaters of the Salmon River to slow the Ross Fork Fire's rate of spread. The Incident Meteorologist predicts rain from Tuesday afternoon through the end of the week.