Where’s the Plan for Fire Season?

It's fire season once again in Idaho and sadly across the Western United States of America.  It's hard to believe that in the year 2020 our great country can't solve the question of fighting fires.  In our neighboring state of Oregon, fires have destroyed homes, a casino, and several work areas.  Oregon has now issued a fire ban reports KOIN News.  The governor declared the fires a once in generational event.  The state has issued an evacuation order telling residents now is the time to leave.

In Lincoln City, a popular destination for West Coast vacation goers, the Safeway and the Lincoln City Community Center were are being used for residents to get on buses.  The popular casino has been evacuated says the Oregonian. 

USA Today has the following breakdown of how the fires are impacted other Western States.

• Washington state was seeing 'unprecedented' fires, with 500 square miles burning on Monday alone.
• In Northern California, helicopters have rescued hundreds of people stranded in the Sierra National Forest, where the Creek Fire was burning.

Idaho has had it's share of fires, but nothing that rivals our neighboring states.  The biggest impact on the Gem State so far is the poor air quality from those fires.  USA Today continues to breakdown the size an impact of these fires:  More than 90 major fires that have burned more than 5,300 square miles – almost the size of Connecticut – are raging in 13 Western states, according to a count by the National Fire Information Center. Thick smoke obliterated the sun in some areas, distant flames turning the sky orange in others.

The issue of land management has continued to anger Western residents who control of their lands.  They say that states need to be able to properly manage their lands without environment restrictions.