Fire

Boise Dispatch Center

Wildland fire management is a vital program in the Owyhee Field Office.  The size and frequency of wildfire have increased substantially across southern Idaho during the last 30 years, as cheatgrass and other flammable weeds have displaced native plant communities. The increase in wildfire undermines rangeland health, depletes wildlife habitat and threatens farms, ranches and communities.

Idaho BLM’s fire management program has four major components: wildland fire suppression, fuels treatment, fire rehabilitation, and community assistance protection. The overarching goals and objectives for these components are established in national policy and in land use plans prepared for the Owyhee Field Office. Implementation strategies, priorities and procedures are then developed in more detailed Fire Management Plans (FMPs), which are prepared for each Idaho BLM district office.

The Owyhee Field Office is part of the Boise District FMP, which was prepared in 2004 and updated in 2005. The FMP addresses fire management for BLM’s Owyhee, Bruneau, and Four Rivers Field Offices. The FMP identifies key fire management priorities for the Owyhee Field Office as: 1) supporting historical beauty of the Silver City area, 2) defending crucial wildlife habitat, and 3) protecting riparian habitat areas.

Fire suppression and fire management activities for the Owyhee Field Office are carried out through the Boise Interagency Dispatch Center, located in Boise. Boise Dispatch is responsible for administering and managing wildland fire on nearly 9 million acres of public lands in southwest Idaho.

The primary function of Boise Dispatch is to provide rapid, efficient, cost-effective support to wildfire suppression and other emergency operations in southwest Idaho. Boise Dispatch also supports non-emergency operations, such as prescribed fire and other resource projects conducted by the Forest Service and BLM. In addition to supporting local incidents, Boise Dispatch lends support to wildfire and other emergency operations nationwide, as well as to local cooperators and fire departments. Boise Dispatch is also accountable for coordinating aircraft flights for fire and non-fire resource missions originating in southwest Idaho. It is also the primary communications link to personnel in the field. Boise Dispatch maintains data and statistics on wildfire and prescribed fire activity, tracks annual aircraft use and costs, weather data, fire reports, fire fighter qualifications, fire support activities, and the movement of fire fighters to incidents throughout the United States.

Learn more about Idaho BLM's Wildland Fire program by visiting the Idaho BLM Wildland Fire webpages.