The Idler Fire, through the eyes of the Director
by lovina englund, executive director
A tanker plane drops fire retardant on flames and smoldering timber next to Idler’s Rest. Photo courtesy of Zach Wilkinson, Moscow-Pullman Daily News.
Air crews drop water taken from nearby ponds to quell the blaze. Photo courtesy of Geoff Crimmins.
Little can make one feel as powerless as when disaster strikes. The call came that there was fire on the mountain near our beloved Idler’s Rest Preserve. Immediately my body’s response system came online. Fear seeped in. Thoughts of flames surging through the tree canopy. Scenes of wild animals scurrying for safety. Drivers rushing away from the smoke towards town, their loved ones and cell phones their only cargo.
My senses tuned into what was happening around me. Movements of leaves blowing in the wind. Sirens in the distance. Chimes alerting me to my phone. Time slowed and I resigned myself to the fact that I could only be patient and wait, trusting that responders were best equipped to ensure the safety of friends and neighbors.
Soon the fragments of information began to trickle in. News that Idler’s Rest was untouched and the source of the fire ignition reached me. Relief and a whole other wave of emotion came in—concern for the welfare of our dear neighbors, many part of the land trust family. Homes and property were in serious jeopardy.
wildfire: It’s not if, but when
Fire is such a simple process, driven by three fundamental factors—oxygen, heat, and fuel. That day, the wind was ripping, and the fuels were bone dry. Scary stuff for an active wildland fire situation. Collective knowledge of this very fact laced the tone of the conversations that day and those to follow. Skies filled with smoke have been a constant reminder of the perilous reality of the fire situation since early July.
Those of us who lack the skills or resources to respond to the fire have to sit back and wait nervously during these events. Now was not the time for action. Our window of opportunity to do anything had closed with the passing calendar days of early summer.
Our community entrusts the Palouse Land Trust to be stewards of Idler’s Rest. Good stewardship of natural spaces in fire-adapted landscapes means we must do our part to manage risk leading up to these events. Like you, I believe in the mission of this organization and am deeply committed to acting responsibly and prudently to prepare for when the fire inevitably will come.
IDL crew members and PLT staff celebrate after a hard day’s work clearing ladder fuels and thinning dead and diseased trees at Idler’s Rest in June, 2021.
Earlier this June, PLT teamed up with our friends at Idaho Firewise and Idaho Department of Lands to do just that. With your support and that of these loyal partners, over 500 crewmember hours were committed to thinning forest fuels at Idler’s Rest. Little did we know then that the fire season would shape up to be one of the hottest and driest on record.
Strong winds blew the flames from the Idler fire just around the edges of Idler’s Rest Nature Preserve. This time, the fire skirted around us. Instead, the preserve provided a refuge for the wild critters escaping the flames on Moscow Mountain. Our neighbors stayed safe. Our hearts go out to the Garfield family who lost everything and narrowly escaped the fire. Their home, owned by PLT board member Dale Miller, was completely destroyed.
A community of resources, a community of support
Incredible thanks to all the fire fighters and volunteers in our community. Disaster requires coordination and care, and we have just the right formula here on the Palouse. Special thanks to Mike McManus with Idaho Department of Lands and his crew for his competence, skill, and dedication as incident commander for the Idler fire and for his thoughtful stewardship role in the fuels reduction work alongside our team earlier this year. Consider a contribution to Idaho Firewise, a fantastic statewide nonprofit that provides education and resources to landowners to contribute to fire-adapted communities. Moscow-based Firewise executive director, Ivy Dickinson works with regional partners to line up crews for hire each summer. If you are looking for local knowledge, resources and support, look to these partners. They are fantastic professionals to work with.
Your meaningful support through personal financial contributions made all the difference in us being able to make a plan and implement it to the best of our ability with the resources we had available. While the flames are gone, the intermittent smoky sky reminds us that we must remain diligent stewards of the land. Stay tuned for more ways you can help advance fuels reduction work on conserved lands. Thank you so much for your commitment and care for the land.