By Stephanie Lucas | Local News 8
CANYON COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) - Idaho Congressman Russ Fulcher brought federal and state officials together on January 31, 2025, to curtail the 2025 wildfire season after what he calls a "devastating" wildfire season in 2024. He gave an overview of the roundtable in an interview with Local News 8.
"Last year, we burned - and I say 'we, the state of Idaho' - right at a million acres of wildfire that that tragically went up in smoke all over the state."
Fulcher, currently serving on the Natural Resources Committee in Congress, says he "could see writing on the wall," for more fires in Idaho this year.
"I can see that the Forest Service in Idaho and the Department of Interior have about a billion dollars in what's called 'deferred maintenance,' and that is projects and things that have been approved they need to do, but they don't have the resources to do it."
'Deferred maintenance' refers to the fuel load clearing that Fulcher says isn't happening in Idaho's forests. The 'fuel' is from brush, dead branches, and small trees that can ignite and intensify wildfires.
Read the full story here.