STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

The Sawtooth Valley Wildland Fire Collaborative is meeting Thursday and Friday, May 23 and 24, at the Stanley Community Building.

The pre-fire season meeting, which is free and open to the public, aims to equip the community with knowledge and resources for wildfire preparedness.

Thursday’s meeting will start at 10 a.m. with discussion and presentations by the U.S. Forest Service about fire mitigation and preparedness, followed by afternoon field trips ending at about 5 p.m. Friday’s discussion and presentations will take place from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Some of the topics include Firewise practices to safeguard homes, evacuation plans and strategies of public agencies in managing wildfires.

The Sawtooth Valley Wildland Fire Collaborative was formed after the Halstead fire burned 179,000 acres in 2012. Idaho’s risk of wildlife is higher than 94 percent of the states in the United States, according to the USDA Forest Service.

Those wishing to attend should register at https://sawtoothfirecollab.org/ Thursday’s lunch will be provided to those who register by Tuesday, May 21.