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Title:	Blaine County, (ID) Fire Mitigation Plan
Type:	Community planning and CWPP's
Jurisdiction:	County
State:	Idaho
Program Description:	Background The Blaine County Fire Mitigation Plan (Plan) covers 1,702,766 acres in the mountainous, central portion of Idaho. Most of the 21,000 residents are located in areas of 4,000 to 6,000 feet. Federal ownership is predominate with 78% of the holdings and 18% of lands in the county are private ownership. About 72% of these private lands are located within a fire protection district. Vegetation is predominately sage brush steppe, coniferous forests and cottonwood, willow riparian areas. The Blaine County Fire Mitigation Plan, as well as two separate plans created for the Ketchum and Wood River/Hailey communities within Blaine County, were created with grant funding from the BLM Communities-At-Risk program. The Plans were prepared by Alpine Enterprises for the Blaine County Board of Commissioners and all Blaine County fire departments. The complete Plan can be viewed at the Idaho Department of Lands website. Affected Communities Concerns Local fire agencies were canvassed for their concerns and priorities as part of the planning process. Discussions were also conducted with regards to current fire protection ratings for the fire districts and factors related to the ratings. Current Fire and Building codes were also reviewed for each community. Scope and Purpose According to the authors, the Plan is designed as a reference tool and interactive document that lists and tracks wildfire mitigation projects on private property. Through a series of public meetings, a set of desired outcomes and goals for the Plan were developed. Meeting participants included fire officials, civic leaders, and citizens. A total of eleven Goals focused on firefighter safety, fuels reduction, firewise practices, partnerships, education, codes, growth, flexibility, infrastructure, interoperability, and economics were enumerated. For each of these Goals, a full description and set of supporting objectives was developed; a spreadsheet of recommended projects for accomplishing objectives was created; and visual aids such as maps, photos, websites, etc. to demonstrate application of projects were included. Fire Mitigation Recommendations The Alpine Enterprise Inc. Fire Mitigation Planning Team makes a number of recommendations for Blaine County wildfire mitigation and protection that are summarized below. Organize groups to complete a Public Awareness Campaign /Education to benefit all jurisdictions Obtain fuels reduction equipment for use by local jurisdictions Provide incentives to homeowners to retrofit their homes to meet fire safety standards Coordinate cooperative educational efforts with architects, contractors, landscapers, planners, and building and fire officials Promote the adoption of consistent codes among jurisdictions Encourage the formation of Water Districts to provide the required fire protection water supplies for subdivisions Enable E-911 and consolidated dispatch Maintain current information for accessibility map layers for all EMS providers Provide technical and financial assistance to agencies that lack resources. Require fire safety planning for areas of the County outside of the fire districts jurisdiction Encourage partnerships to support prevention and suppression efforts Support enforcement of local codes, laws, and ordinances Evaluate the economic impact of a catastrophic wildfire and support the use of Firewise practices Provide leadership and funding for a countywide Emergency Operations Plan and Emergency Operations Center Standardize all communications equipment and enhance operability Provide technical assistance to fire districts in expanding or relocating to meet growth needs of the county Contact information For more information about the Blaine County Fire Mitigation Plan, contact Angela Grant-Kettleband, Blaine County Firewise Coordinator, EMAIL: [email protected] TELE: 208-309-2006
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