Don’t be that guy: have fun responsibly during fire season

By Liv Stecker

Fire season is in full swing in the Inland Northwest, and with temperatures reaching Arizona Desert highs later this week and no rain in sight, firefighters don’t have the weather on their side in the battle against forces of nature. Some of the most popular recreational spots in Eastern Washington are closed because of threatening fires. Campgrounds like those at Noisy Creek on Sullivan Lake that have sites reserved months in advance are closed, probably for the remainder of the season. Access to hiking trails, including the popular Pacific Northwest Trail, is limited or cut off altogether in places, rerouting through-hikers dozens of miles in roundabout detours.

While Sullivan Lake remains open to boaters, firefighters operating on the lake’s edge are concerned as the interested public drifts dangerously close to active fire and the occasional keg-sized boulder that tumbles off the hillside into the lake. Helicopter pilots maneuver buckets around boats on the lake while campers take video from the shore. It is a sight to behold, for sure, but the closer that spectators get to the action, the more risk that firefighters and the public face in the ever-changing context of an active wildfire. During the weekend, visitors to the fire area near Noisy Creek were double parked along a single lane bridge, impeding fire traffic and compromising access routes, until local Law Enforcement stepped in to break up the impromptu party.

Noisy Creek Fire on July 31, 3017

Closing campgrounds, trails, lakes and other recreational areas is truly a last resort for most agencies. If closures happen, it is to ensure that the number one objective of every fire manager and agency administrator is achieved: public and firefighter safety. Not respecting closures creates risk for both the violator and the firefighter on the line, but using common sense and a little bit of situational awareness as the recreating public can help put off official closures a little bit longer. Sometimes, campers don’t have access to the information they need once they leave cell range and wifi connectivity. Always check information boards and kiosks at campgrounds and boat launches when you arrive, and when possible, get online and check agency websites for your preferred recreational spot for updates. “Know before you go” is a good mantra to live by if you like to hang out in the woods.

As of Sunday morning, August 6, the Colville National Forest goes into Stage II Fire Restrictions, (follow the Colville National Forest on Twitter @Colville_NF to get updates) which means no campfires, even in designated campsites and improved fire rings, no charcoal or pellet grills or smokers and no chainsaw use in certain zones on the forest. The Fire Danger Rating is high in Stevens, Pend Oreille and Ferry Counties, and by the weekend, that could be upgraded as well. Where you fire up your generator, flick your cigarette ash or park your car could have lasting ramifications on your friends and fellow recreators out in the woods.

During an active fire, a TFR, or Temporary Flight Restriction, closes the airspace over a fire to all air traffic that is not fire related  - including drones which are becoming ever more popular among the general public. A drone in the air over a fire means that our aviation resources can not fly - no bucket drops from helicopters, no retardant planes, not even medical evacuations can happen if you fly your drone in fire airspace. In June, fire operations on the Goodwin Fire in Arizona were shut down twice when private drones cruised into airspace over the fire.

In many ways, the general public can aid local firefighters by being aware and practicing good judgement in recreational situations. In both fire prevention and fire suppression efforts, Smokey Bear’s mission is renewed every year as people still need to be reminded of their responsibility to protect the woods where they live, work and play. According to a study by the National Academy of the Sciences,  84% of wildfires are human caused, and that, my friends, is a scary statistic. Especially when these fires cost our country billions of dollars annually, and even worse, human lives, like the human-caused conflagration in Tennessee last year that killed fourteen people.  

Fire will always be a part of our landscape here in rural Eastern Washington, but how much destruction this fire brings is in part, up to us as residents of this great place. Cooperating with local agencies and policies and using your own good sense are the best way to be part of the solution. Enjoy your summer, but do it wisely, and remember, Only You...