News

Eyes in the sky

Peering through Binoculars, Evan Lunning did not know if the white puffs he could see from his perch atop the Carey Dome Fire Lookout were wildfire smoke, or the low-lying clouds that often float through the Salmon River canyon.Lunning had seen lightning strikes in the area the night before, and erring on the side of caution, he radioed the Payette Interagency Dispatch Center in McCall to report a smoke sighting.

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Emergency staffing stretched thin by July 4 crowds

Valley County’s emergency call volumes during last week’s July 4 celebration held similar to recent years, but first responder staffing remained a challenge, according to local fire and EMS agencies.McCall, Donnelly, and Cascade Fire and EMS all reported being “fairly busy,” and said that most of the 62 calls for service during the holiday period were connected to minor incidents.On several occasions the calls came in simultaneously, which stretched staffing thin across the county and forced first responders to use creative solutions.“Our first responder agencies are not resourced for these numbers of people in Valley County,” McCall Fire and EMS Chief Garrett de Jong said.

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Fire lookouts across the Payette

There are 11 fire lookouts on the Payette National Forest staffed throughout the summer.The program costs about $140,000 per year in wages and about $3,000 per year in equipment, maintenance and supplies, said Payette Public Information Officer Brian Harris.Funding the program is worth the investment compared to the potentially astronomical cost of fighting the fires that the program prevents.It costs $150,000 per day at the very least to aggressively suppress a fire over 100-acres in size.

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Payette prepares for a busy fire season

The Payette National Forest is preparing for an active fire season following this winter’s below average snowfall and a hot and dry summer forecast.“Above normal fire potential” is expected on the Payette in July and August, possibly extending into September, said Molly Booth, an assistant center manager at the Payette Interagency Dispatch Center in McCall.Above average temperatures and below average precipitation are forecast through August.

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