Photo Set (6 photos): Idaho Gov. Butch Otter looks from an Idaho National Guard Black Hawk helicopter at the Cape Horn fire and burn today. Otter received a briefing from the incident commander and fire staff at the Incident Command Post (ICP) located near Bayview. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)

Idaho Gov. Butch Otter toured the Cape Horn fire today, surveying the damage done by the 1,155-acre blaze near the lakeside town of Bayview. “Whenever we have a crisis in Idaho, it’s everybody’s crisis,” Otter said. The tour started aboard an Idaho National Guard Blackhawk helicopter. Although heavy smoke obscured views, Otter watched helicopters drop water on the smoldering hillside. “Still some pretty good hotspots up there,” he said. “And from what I know about fire management, it’s pretty tough to fight because it’s very, very steep and it’s going uphill. An aerial attack, as long as you have the visibility, is about the only way you’re going to get that”/Eli Francovich, SR. More here.

Question: Why do you think it's important for Gov. Otter to tour local disasters like the Cape Horn fire, in Idaho? Or don't you?