BLM to implement portions of Soda Fuel Breaks in Owyhee County
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BOISE, Idaho – The BLM Boise District Fire and Fuels program will implement another phase of the Soda Fuel Breaks project along the Owyhee Front to combat wildfires and protect recent Soda Fire rehabilitation efforts. The work will begin the week of July 16 and potentially continue through Oct. 12.
A fuel break works by thinning or removing vegetation in order to reduce flame lengths, slow the spread of fast-moving wildfires, and provide opportunities for firefighters to safely engage and contain a fire. This segment of the project follows the mowing completed last fall on BLM-administered lands along the Rabbit Creek, Reynolds Creek and Kane Springs roadways within the vicinity of Murphy and the Reynolds Creek drainage. This stage of implementation will involve hand-cutting 448 acres that were not accessible for mowers during last year’s treatments.
BLM acting Owyhee Field Office Manager Lance Okeson says fuel breaks are a helpful tool for firefighters. “The strategy of reducing vegetation and breaking up its continuity along established road systems will provide a safer work environment for the wildland firefighting community, resulting in more suppression options in the event of a large fire,“ he said.
Contracted hand crews will use chainsaws to reduce the height of brush in fuel breaks adjacent to the identified roadways. The crews will establish fuel breaks up to 200 feet wide on both sides of the roadway.
This fuel reduction effort is part of the larger Soda Fuel Breaks project designed to reduce fuels and provide firefighters a better opportunity to combat wildfires in and around the area burned by the 2015 Soda Fire. Overall, the project will develop fuel breaks on BLM-managed land along 271 miles of existing roadways.
Earlier this spring, the Boise District introduced targeted grazing along the Owyhee Front as part of the same project. Targeted grazing is an experimental technique that enables ranchers to participate in fire prevention efforts by grazing their livestock herds on selected fuel break tracts. Like the use of mowers and hand crews, targeted grazing helps develop and maintain fuel breaks.
The BLM asks the public to be aware of contract vehicles working along roads during this time.
For more information, contact BLM at (208) 384-3378.
The BLM manages more than 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.