Stage 1 Fire Restrictions begin Friday
Shoshone, Idaho (July 31, 2025) — The South Idaho Interagency Dispatch Center announces Stage 1 Fire Restrictions will go into effect at 11:59 p.m. Thursday.
The Restrictions are being implemented through a coordinated effort between Idaho Department of Lands, the Sawtooth National Forest, and Bureau of Land Management Twin Falls District, Shoshone Field Office.
Restrictions will apply to all lands north of U.S. Route 20 from Hill City east to the Craters of the Moon National Monument Park Visitor Center to the northern most Sawtooth National Forest boundary, as described within the respective agencies Stage 1 Fire Restriction orders. South of U.S. Route 20, restrictions will only apply to National Forest System lands within the boundaries of the Minidoka Ranger District of the Sawtooth National Forest.
“We’ve had an usually high number of human-caused wildland fire starts so far this season, and fuel moistures have been measuring dryer than normal,” said Area Fire Restrictions Coordinator Rob Haddock. “Couple low fuel moistures with dry, hot weather conditions, and we are well within the criteria for implementing restrictions laid out in the Idaho Fire Restrictions Plan.”
The purpose of the restrictions is to reduce the potential for human-caused ignitions.
A map detailing where Stage 1 Fire Restrictions will be implemented is posted online at https://www.fs.usda.gov/r04/sawtooth/alerts and https://www.blm.gov/programs/fire/fire-restrictions/fire/idaho/fire-restrictions.
Under Stage 1 Fire Restrictions, the following acts are prohibited:
- Building or maintaining a wood-, charcoal-, or briquette-fueled fire outside of a permanent metal or concrete fire pit or grate that the Forest Service or BLM has installed and maintained at its developed recreation sites.
- Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, at a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable material.
Visitors are welcomed to build and maintain campfires in federal agency-provided rings or grates at designated recreation areas. Visitors outside of these designated sites may use a stove or grill equipped with a shut-off valve that is solely fueled by liquid petroleum or liquid petroleum gas fuels. Stoves or grills of this type can only be used in areas that are barren or cleared of all overhead and surrounding flammable materials within three feet of the device.
Additional restrictions may be necessary in the future. Fire restrictions will remain in effect until October 31. If conditions moderate, agencies will consider lifting restrictions earlier.
Violations could result in mandatory appearance in a federal court, fines, or jail time.
For additional information on fire restrictions, visit the fire restrictions website at https://www.idl.idaho.gov/restrictions.
The BLM manages about 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.