Weekly Fire Update
IDL's third team fire, the Parkway Fire, started August 4 and was managed by an IDL Type 3 Incident Management Team (Nate Rogers I.C.). By August 8 it was 100% contained and returned to the Mica Forest Protective District. The incident was held at 80 acres.
View the Most Current Wildfire Report on IDL's Fire News Feed
Fire Restrictions
Stage 2 Fire Restrictions were implemented on August 9 in the Coeur d’Alene Fire Restrictions Area which includes the North and South Fire Restriction Zones.
Because fire conditions changed so quickly the decision was made to bypass Stage 1 restrictions and go directly into Stage 2. This area includes all lands managed by or under the fire protection of Idaho Department of Lands, Bureau of Land Management, the Forest Service, or other tribal or federal agencies.
Stage 1 Fire Restrictions were implemented on July 28 in the Central Idaho Fire Restrictions Area.
Fire danger across the state is Very High to Extreme with the exception of Mica and Southwest Forest Protective Districts which are both listed as High.
Current fire restrictions can be found on the IDL website.
 
Our Social Media Accounts Have Gone to the Birds
As a family loaded their car to evacuate in the midst of the Parkway Fire, their pet bird flew away. On Tuesday, firefighters mopping up found it.
This little Phoenix has been returned to its family.
Nate Rogers, the incident commander on the Type 3 IMT assigned to the Parkway Fire shared a photo of this lucky bird with IDL's communications team.
The PIOs posted the photo to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn, where it performed very well.
Why would a social media post about a bird perched on a firefighter's hardhat matter?
Sure, it's fun and maybe even whimsical. But at its core, the photo helps IDL demonstrate proof of performance. In this case, "gone to the birds" humanizes the agency's efforts by using feel-good humor. This post bookends previous posts that provided vital public information during an emergency and demonstrated the competence of our personnel.
Over the past week, "gone to the the birds" ranked as the third highest-viewed post on our social media accounts, garnering 14,173 impressions on Facebook. Its a force multiplier for our two highest viewed posts, which conveyed incident updates about the Parkway Fire and received a combined 79,901 views, and made them more memorable.
In a year's time, community members not directly impacted by the Parkway Fire won't recall specifics of the incident - who managed it, the airshow over Post Falls' sky or that a subdivision was saved from the conflagration. However, they may remember the lost bird nicknamed Phoenix and by association, IDL's great work.
Public Feedback Guides Recreational Rulemaking, IDL to Present Results to Land Board this Month
Senate Bill 1049, legislation aimed at changing the behavior of the few bad actors that damage endowment land, was signed into law as the last legislative session concluded. Although the new statute became effective on on July 1, rulemaking is required to implement it.
IDL will report on the progress made through negotiated rulemaking to the Land Board during the commission's August 15 meeting.
The agency relied heavily on comments submitted by stakeholders, members of the public and other agencies to refine its draft of IDAPA 20.05.01. The current draft of the rule stays true to the agency's intent to focus enforcement on targeted problem areas.
IDL Firefighter Recovering from Serious Injuries in Car Accident
On July 26 a cement truck collided with Hunter Szydlowski's vehicle while he was driving to work. Hunter, an IDL wildland firefighter, was seriously injured in the accident and remains hospitalize in Coeur d'Alene.
Today we received news that Hunter is out of ICU and is improving daily. He is able to walk but still has some issues with his left lung. His family hopes he is able to go home soon.
A Go Fund Me account has been set up to help with Hunter's medical bills.
Because an IDL Team Member Asked for It...
This groaner is inspired by the pet bird found by firefighters in the aftermath of Parkway Fire.
Director Miller's Favorite Dad Joke This Week:
Q: What kind of bird doesn’t need a comb?
A. A bald eagle.
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Idaho Department of Lands Hiring Seasonal Workers to Meet Surging Demand for Wildland Firefighting Equipment and Supplies
“Lives, property and valuable timber resources depend on our ability to supply firefighting equipment when it is needed, where it is needed,” declared Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) director Dustin Miller.
That’s why the agency is hiring at least ten seasonal team members to help meet the surging demand for wildfire equipment and supplies.
IDL’s Coeur d’Alene Interagency Fire Cache stocks and maintains wildland firefighting equipment and supplies, distributing these vital resources to crews battling wildfires across the west.
“Many items used on the fireline like fire hoses, chainsaws and water pumps come back to the Fire Cache and can be used on future fires after they are refurbished,” said IDL director Dustin Miller. “Returning and refurbishing equipment reduces fire expenses and saves taxpayers money.”
During the height of fire season, refurbishing equipment requires many helping hands, explained Miller. “With equipment returning from the field, and the likelihood of more wildfires the horizon, each season we bring in help to maintain short turn-around times.”
“The seasonal employees we hire do essential work,” said Miller. That work includes washing fire hoses, boxing up supplies, loading and offloading trucks, pressure-testing water handling equipment, making deliveries to fires and much more.
Driving positions are also available for those with valid driver’s licenses and experience driving forklifts or box trucks. You must be at least 18 years old to apply.
The jobs pay $17.92 per hour and team members work from 7:00 am to 5:30 pm, six days a week. These positions are eligible for overtime pay.
Apply today by emailing your resume to careers@idl.idaho.gov, or by visiting https://www.idl.idaho.gov/jobs.
Director Miller's Week in North Idaho
Last week Director Miller worked out of the Coeur d'Alene staff office and St. Joe Supervisory Area office in St. Maries.
While in North Idaho Miller visited the site of the Tyson Fire with St. Joe area manager Tony Brede and toured endowment land in Benewah County that lies in the path of development. IDL may soon bring this developable ground to auction.
In addition to meeting with federal officials to discuss the U.S. Forest Service's Wildfire Crisis Strategy in Coeur d'Alene, he also met with Tom Schultz, Vice President of Resource and Government Affairs with Idaho Forest Group and with IDL helitack team members deployed at the Coeur d'Alene airport. While visiting IDL's Interagency Fire Cache, Miller saw IDL's new CNC plasma cutter, a tool that will streamline the outfitting of new fire engines, saving time and money.
Tyson, Parkway Fires 100% Contained, Transferred Back to Local Districts
IDL's West St. Joe Forest Protective District transferred management of the Tyson Fire, located east of St. Maries, to a local IDL Type 3 Incident Management Team led by Josh Harvey on July 21. Management transferred back to the district on Sunday, July 23. The fire was 100% contained at 155 acres.
IDL's Mica Forest Protective District transferred management of the Parkway Fire, located in Post Falls, to a local IDL Type 3 Incident Management Team led by Nate Rogers on August 5. Management transferred back to teh district on Tuesday, August 8. The fire was 100% contained at 80 acres.
Photo of the Tyson Fire located east of St. Maries, Idaho.
Doubling Down on Dad Jokes
Just when you thought the jokes couldn't get worse...
Q: What do you call a parrot that flew away?
A: A polygon.
IDL, USFS Leaders Meet to Discuss Federal Wildfire Crisis Strategy
Last week Director Miller and Idaho State Forester Craig Foss met with federal officials in Coeur d'Alene to discuss the U.S. Forest Service's Wildfire Crisis Strategy (WCS), and how it dovetails with Idaho's No Boundaries Forestry initiative.
Other meeting participants included USFS Region 1 Regional Forester Leanne Martin, USFS Region 4 Regional Forester Mary Farnsworth, USFS Region 1 Director of State and Private Forestry Tim Garcia and two USDA-NRCS representatives.
The group discussed expanding priority firesheds to reduce fuels loads, an important step for preventing catastrophic wildfires and can threaten communities and destroy valuable resources.
The USFS launched the WCS strategy in January of 2022. In January 2023 the strategy was expanded to include an anticipated $34,000,000 in funding for cross boundary work in in the USFS Northern Region.
Under the WCS strategy, the Forest Service seeks to work with partners to focus fuels and forest health treatments strategically and at scale, using science to guide project implementation. For Idaho, their list includes:
- Idaho Department of Lands
- Idaho Department of Fish and Game
- Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation
- Idaho Governor’s Office of Species Conservation
- Counties
- Forest products industry partners
- Non-profit advocacy groups
In Case You Missed It
Here's a recap of other recent IDL newsletters you may find interesting:
One Team One Voice Newsletter Archive
Did you miss some important news? Are you curious about knowing what's happening across IDL? Our One Team, One Voice webpage contains an archive of IDL's newsletters covering:
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