Agencies on fire alert
<p>Tammy Holmes, left, and Charlene Holbrook take a walk during their lunch break from work Monday along Mullan Avenue in Post Falls. New burn permits have been suspended due to a lack of precipitation in recent months.</p>
POST FALLS - Forget the wet spring we had.
Fire agencies say conditions are ripe for fire disaster and have suspended issuing new burn permits until further notice.
"We've moved into a high fire danger rating," said Gary Darrington, a fire warden for the Idaho Department of Lands. "The past two fire seasons have been slow (in North Idaho), but you just never know when it will be your turn to host a big one.
"You can see the grass along the freeway turning yellow. Things are a little dicey."
Small campfires and burn barrels are still allowed if attended.
"We urge all Kootenai County residents to take extreme caution with any open burning any time of the year, but especially in the hot and dry times of the year," a press release from multiple fire agencies states.
Darrington said the wet spring allowed vegetation to grow well and, now that it's drying, there's a lot of fuel for fires.
Climatologist Cliff Harris said there has only been .13 of an inch of rain since July 13.
"It's one of the driest mid-summers that we've had on record - 25 percent of normal," Harris said. "We're in a pattern of extremes. If we get some thunderstorms later this month, we could have some real problems."
A hotter summer would have made conditions even worse. There have only been five days of 90 degrees or above this year. July's average high temperature was 79 - 6 degrees below the average.
Harris said more dry weather with temperatures between 85 and 92 is predicted for the next week.
"Hopefully the nice weather will last through the fair," he said.
The holders of current burn permits will be allowed to burn through the expiration date.
Residents who have a valid permit should call the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality at (800) 633-6247, option 3, to ensure the air quality level is green for burning. Burning on yellow or red days is prohibited.