Rathdrum Prairie On Slow Burn Growers Have Eight More Days To Burn Fields

Although Rathdrum Prairie grass growers have barely 10 percent of their fields left to burn, the last of the acreage is going to smoke quite slowly.

Rathdrum Prairie farmers burned just 80 acres Sept.

2, the only day they burned last week. They have 560 acres left to burn.

No burning occurred on Rathdrum Prairie on Monday.

A total of 682 people have called the Idaho Division of Environmental Quality’s burning hotline since the burning season began Aug. 13. The state agency received 976 complaints last year during the entire season.

Field burning has occurred on six days on the prairie. Farmers have eight more burn days there.

The Coeur d’Alene Tribe was expected to burn Monday, but tribal officials could not be reached to confirm acreage and location.

The tribe is about half-done burning the approximately 19,000 acres of Kentucky bluegrass fields on the reservation. Most of that grass is grown by non-Indians, some of whom lease fields from tribal members.

Spokane County growers, meanwhile, had one of their best burning days on Monday. Approximately 3,000 acres of grass fields in south Spokane County were put to the torch.

The Spokane County Air Pollution Control Authority received 15 complaints Monday.

Burning is expected today in Spokane County.

, DataTimes