SPOKANE, Wash. – As the Inland Northwest grapples with drought conditions, the Spokane Fire Department is preparing for what could be an early and extended fire season.
Justin De Ruyter from the Spokane Fire Department explained the challenges ahead. “We know we’re gonna have fires earlier, possibly longer. And then and typically at bigger you just got more fields that are drier and available to burn. It takes time,” said De Ruyter.
The U.S. Drought Monitor has characterized the region as “abnormally dry,” raising concerns among firefighters about potential resource shortages. De Ruyter noted, “For us it’s more of a probably fire season starting earlier, potentially lasting longer. And then the other concern just be the resources being tied up on other fires.”
Idaho Governor Brad Little also expressed his concerns during a recent conference, specifically about the lack of snowpack. “If our snowpack remains in this dire shape, those problems are going to come to fruition very soon,” said Little.
Despite the dry conditions, Little mentioned that current soil moisture levels are favorable. “We’ve got pretty good soil moisture out there now, but we really need some more snow, and we need good spring rains for those crops to be successful,” he said.
Governor Little emphasized the importance of maintaining aquifer levels for the state’s potato farmers. “We put everybody in a groundwater district, and they’re required to keep the aquifer levels at a certain height, and they’re going to have to come up with ways to do that,” Little said.
De Ruyter acknowledged that the mild winter has had some benefits, reducing the number of fires related to portable heaters. “We typically get, you know, 3 to 6 fires a year just based on portable heaters and extension cords and that kind of stuff. But I think we had 1 or 2, we just haven’t had that cold,” he said.
The National Weather Service predicts another abnormally dry summer from June through August. However, there is hope for wetter conditions in the coming weeks.
De Ruyter concluded, “At this point for us is just recognizing. Yeah, this winter doesn’t look like we’re gonna get the snowpack up in the hills. Maybe that comes late spring. We’ll see. And just really, you know, for us, it really depends on what the spring brings.”
