Burn Complaints Rise In Spokane But Fewer Are Annoyed In North Idaho

Although Spokane County grass growers have torched less than 20 percent of their burnable acreage this season, the number of air quality complaints has outpaced last year’s total.

Complaints are fewer on the Rathdrum Prairie compared with a year ago, but the Idaho grass fields appear to be one factor in the surge of unhappiness in the Spokane Valley over hazy skies.

Rathdrum Prairie farmers were burning last Wednesday, a day that became “a pretty good smoke-out in the Valley,” while Spokane area growers were not burning, said Matt Holmquist of the Spokane County Air Pollution Control Authority.

But the Intermountain Grass Growers Association says a wildfire or field burning in Whitman County may have been a greater factor. About 29,000 acres of wheat stubble are registered to be burned in Whitman County, along with about 1,000 acres of grass fields.

“I just don’t think that came from our grass,” said Linda Clovis of the grass growers association. “Our meteorologist said all of our smoke went north, … that it was a great day for burning.”

Still, Spokane County’s record for complaints occurred in connection with Rathdrum Prairie field burning on Aug. 19. That day alone elicited 93 calls to the SCAPCA hotline.

Overall, 178 people have complained about smoke in Spokane County so far this year. Last year, 170 people called with complaints during the entire season.

On the other hand, around Coeur d’Alene, there have been 760 complaints this year - 216 fewer than a year ago. And few acres remain to be burned.

The next round of field fires likely won’t occur this week. Rain over the weekend and Monday has dampened fields and prospects for field fires, Holmquist said.

Some fields may not be burned until October, he said.

Spokane County growers and Rathdrum Prairie growers both had difficulty finishing field burning last year because of moisture, causing some to lose their crops this year, Clovis said.

As grass burning winds down, Kootenai County is giving residents the green light to start burning yard waste.

Burning requires a permit from one of the 13 fire-control districts, noted Michael Denney of the Idaho Department of Lands.

Such fires may be fairly substantial this year because of the large number of trees damaged by last November’s ice storm, he said.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: THE BURNING ISSUE Approximate number of acres burned so far this year: Rathdrum Prairie Burned so far 8,020 Remaining 80 Coeur d’Alene Reservation Burned so far 12,915 Remaining 6,163 Spokane County Burned so far 2,200 Remaining 9,000