Gov. Brad Little praises response to Gwen and Texas Ridge fires

Idaho Gov. Brad Little, when touring the Gwen and Texas Ridge fires Thursday, said he was struck by the devastation but also the teamwork between state, tribal and county governments, and private volunteers that worked to save lives and ultimately bring the blazes under control.

The Gwen Fire in particular crossed multiple jurisdictions. It started following a lightning strike in the Little Potlatch Canyon and blew up the next day when a cold front brought strong and erratic winds. The fire destroyed 25 homes, 13 recreation vehicles that served as homes, 118 out buildings and nearly 100 vehicles.

Firefighters from the Nez Perce Tribe, Idaho Departments of Lands, several rural volunteer fire districts and local residents and landowners worked to first stop the blaze and then to evacuate those in danger. An incident management team eventually took command of firefighting operations.

Little was impressed by the amount of fire lines that farmers created.

“Had they not done that, this fire would have been enormously larger,” he said.

The Texas Ridge Fire burned four homes. It started when a piece of metal being dragged behind a vehicle threw sparks into dry grass. It burned more than 1,500 acres and cost nearly $3 million to extinguish. It, too, was managed by an incident command team.

Little expects to release a report in the next few weeks that will outline steps to lessen fire threat and the severity of fires when they do start. He noted Idaho is one of the fastest growing states in the country and more people will complicate the state’s response to fire and increase the potential for damage.

“My heart goes out to the people who lost property, and we want to do all we can to ameliorate those damages,” he said. “But Idaho is a changing state. We’re going to continue to sharpen the saw to become more efficient in what we do with fires, to keep people safe, to keep communities safe, but I appreciate all the teamwork that was done here and what we’ve done going forward.”

Robert Blair, a farmer from Kendrick who challenged but lost to Sen. Dan Foreman in the Republican primary, praised local fire districts, ranchers and farmers, and other volunteers. He would like to see range land fire protection associations formed to make it easier for local people to get training and be able to participate further in fire suppression efforts. He also said communication could be improved and noted Cherrylane Bridge is the only river crossing between Arrow and Orofino that can be used by heavy equipment utilized in firefighting.

Shannon Wheeler, chairperson of the Nez Perce Tribe, called people in this area resilient and resourceful, and said now that the fires are over, it’s time to learn from them.

“If we can do that, I think the future generations will have a better chance to defend themselves in this beautiful place we call home.”

Barker may be contacted at ebarker@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2273.