Current News Coverage
80% of fires on IDL protected land were human caused this year. Here's how public land officials are responding.
KTVB, 10-15-26
IDAHO, USA — The wildfire season is mostly over, but the damage remains. Fire crews stayed busy this season with more than 9 million acres burned nationwide.
The nation's largest fire, the Big Grass Fire, burned nearly 580,000 acres along the Idaho Oregon state line. The Idaho Bureau of Land Management finally lifted the closure for that fire Wednesday, but even with these cool temperatures Idaho lands are not out of the woods quite yet.
Idaho Department of Lands Director Dustin Miller provided the Natural Resources Interim Committee this week with this year's wildfire impact, what they learned and the work that is already being done to make sure we are ready for next year's wildfire season.
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Four in five wildfires on Idaho state land in 2026 were human caused, IDL Director says
KHQ, 10-14-26
BOISE, Idaho – 80% of wildfires on land protected by the Idaho Department of Lands in 2026 so far were human-caused, according to IDL Director Dustin Miller.
Miller’s data also reflected an update shared at the most recent IDL meeting in September, which said 178 of 218, or 81.17%, of fires on lands protected by the department were started by humans.
Miller said summer heat, drought, limited precipitation and below-normal snowpack contributed to dry fuels and elevated fire danger in Idaho this year.
“This staggering figure just underscores the importance of not only a robust fuels mitigation program, but also a solid prevention program,” Miller told the Idaho Legislature’s Natural Resources Interim Committee on Tuesday.
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St. Maries crews respond after fireworks found near Benewah Creek Road
KHQ, 10-15-26
ST. MARIES, Idaho — A smoke report near dumpsters on Benewah Creek Road led firefighters to an unexpected find: three Roman candles taped together.
In a Facebook post, the St. Maries Fire Protection District said Units 1501 and 1535 went to the scene with four district firefighters and two firefighters from the Idaho Department of Lands.
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Idaho signs $12.4M agreement with Forest Service
McCall Star-News, 10-14-26
More timber sales and projects on Payette and Boise National Forests
The Idaho Department of Lands and the U.S. Forest Service recently signed a 20-year collaborative agreement with the goal of expanding the agency’s forest management partnership.
The agreement, known as the Good Neighbor Authority, allows Idaho to partner with the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management to perform forest management activities on federal lands.
“These Good Neighbor Authority agreements strengthen our partnership with the Idaho Department of Lands and reinforce our shared commitment to Idaho’s communities,” said Michiko Martin, the Regional Forester with Southwest and Intermountain Region of the Forest Service.
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Agency directors provide update on predator populations and ‘significant’ fire season
Moscow-Pullman Daily News, 10-14-26
BOISE — Natural resource agency directors went before legislators on the Natural Resources Committee on Tuesday, detailing trends in grizzly bear and wolf populations in Idaho and providing an update as the state’s fire season enters its closing weeks.
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Fire season update
Idaho Department of Lands Director Dustin Miller described the 2026 fire season as “significant” on the national level. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, as of Oct. 9 there have been approximately 63,700 fires and more than 9 million acres burned, the latter of which is equivalent to about 145% of the 10-year average for this point in the year.
Miller noted national preparedness levels peaked at level 5, the highest on the scale, for 48 consecutive days during the fire season.
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Closed burning season ending for Idaho next week
BoiseDev, 10-14-26
Idaho’s closed fire season ends in less than a week.
Tuesday, Oct. 20 marks the close of the five-month period when state burn permits are required for most outdoor burning. Each year, the Idaho Department of Lands mandates permits from May 10 to October 20 to help reduce the risk of wildfires across the Gem State.
While the requirement for a state-issued burn permit lifts on Tuesday, fire officials want to remind Idahoans that safety and responsibility don’t end with the season.
“While we will no longer be in closed fire season, there is still a risk of fire,” said IDL Fire Management Chief Josh Harvey in a press release. “We all need to do our part, using common sense and caution when burning yard waste, slash, or having a campfire when hunting.”
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Forest Service, IDL announce new GNA agreements
Bonner County Daily Bee, 10-14-26
Governor Brad Little applauded news from the Idaho Department of Lands and U.S. Forest Service that five new Good Neighbor Authority agreements were signed to further expand active forest management activities across the state.
“Idaho is a national leader in active forest management, and these new agreements build on the success of our partnership with the U.S. Forest Service. With millions more in new federal investment and a 20-year framework, we can accelerate forest restoration, reduce wildfire risk, and support the rural communities and timber industry that depend on healthy forests.
“This work directly supports my Make Forests Healthy Again Executive Order and reflects our commitment to getting more work done on the ground. By working together, we can make Idaho’s forests healthier, our communities safer, and our forest products industry stronger,” Little said.
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More than 80% wildfires on Idaho state land caused by humans this year
Idaho Capital Sun, 10-13-26
More than 80% of the wildfires that the Idaho Department of Lands has responded to this year have been caused by humans, Director Dustin Miller told an interim committee of Idaho legislators Tuesday.
“This staggering figure just underscores the importance of not only a robust fuels mitigation program … but also a solid prevention program,” Miller told the Idaho Legislature’s Natural Resources Interim Committee during a meeting at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise.
Through the end of September, a total of 10,000 acres of land that the Idaho Department of Lands is responsible for protecting has burned. (That figure does not include the larger number of acres of federal land, such as U.S. Forest Service land, that burned in wildfires this summer.)
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