Burn Bans Put Damper On Weekend Campers Sacrifice S’Mores To Help Keep Kiln-Dry Forests Safe

A boiled hot dog just isn’t as good to your taste buds as one cooked by the heat of a campfire.

That was the sentiment of the Loman family this week.

Tuesday night, the family made do with boiled hot dogs and fried sausages at their campsite. The group of 13 from Montesano, Wash., camped all week despite fire restrictions prohibiting all open flames.

“You miss that fragrance on your clothes - that stink,” Mark Loman said.

The Lomans had half a dozen coolers, two propane stoves, three burner stoves - and a pump can of water, just in case a fire did break out.

Fire restrictions will prevent campers from lighting so much as a candle this Labor Day weekend. The ban on campfires was imposed throughout the region because of extreme fire danger.

Some disappointed campers are staying home, freeing up a few camping sites for the holiday weekend.

In the Idaho Panhandle, the moisture in downed trees and forest brush is at a 50-year low, said Cort Sims, information officer at the North Idaho Interagency Fire Prevention and Information Center. That means it would take only a spark to ignite a forest fire.

Rules are rules, so the Lomans cooked their hot-dog dinner by the light of lamps, flashlights and a citronella candle, which technically violates the burn ban. The family knew about the campfire restrictions before heading out on the weeklong vacation it had anticipated for six months.

But the s’mores? Now, those definitely will be missed, 13-year-old Jared Loman said. Cooking a marshmallow by the heat of a propane stove doesn’t compare.

Any open flames, including candles, cigarettes and cooking with barbecue coals, are prohibited, Sims said. Open flames will continue to be banned despite a recent cooling in weather and recent rain.

“It will have to rain quite a bit more” to allow the campfires, Sims said.

Campers who light fires will be cited.

Restrictions may also deter some campers in Washington state parks, Riverside Park Ranger Bill Drath said. Campers will be allowed to use charcoal and propane grills in designated areas, but open fires will not be allowed.

All-terrain vehicles and motorcycles will not be allowed off roads or designated trails in Idaho. Firewood permits for noncommercial use also have been banned.

The restrictions have kept people away from campgrounds this summer in North Idaho, said Terry Kincaid, outdoor recreation planner for the Bureau of Land Management.

“Use is down,” Kincaid said. “People are either staying away because they assume everything is closed completely, or they don’t want to camp with the restrictions.”

The bans are designed to protect against the possible need for fire crews that simply aren’t available, Kincaid said. Most are out fighting massive wildfires burning in northcentral Idaho and Western Montana.

Propane and gas stoves will be permitted at all campsites. Sims suggested that campers include a shovel, bucket and fire extinguisher with their gear.

“People must take the fire restrictions seriously because things are extremely dry,” Kincaid said.

Recent warnings about the fire situation have not kept any campers from enjoying the splendors of nature at Farragut, said Pam Ellis, an office specialist at Farragut. As one of North Idaho’s largest camping spots, sites rarely go unclaimed. Ellis has had only two reservations canceled for this weekend because of the fire threat.

“That’s really small because the competition for sites here is fierce,” Ellis said, who still expects a full house through the Labor Day weekend.

Although all of the park’s reserved spots are taken, 20 percent of its sites will remain on a first come, first served basis. Group reservation sites will also be opened, adding 50 additional sites for campers.

Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Areas offers 28 campgrounds with 640 sites. Fires will be allowed in fire pits, but no open beach fires will be allowed, said Marlene Igo, a management assistant there. Propane stoves may be used on the beaches, but charcoal briquettes are not allowed.

Priest Lake will be another full site, officials said. Parks like Round Lake, Heyburn State Park and Hell’s Gate in Lewiston have a better chance of being open because they offer sites on a first come, first served basis.

All reserved sites at the Colville National Forest have been taken, which leaves about 45 camping sites available on a first-come basis. Fires are allowed in fire pits, and propane and gas stoves are allowed, but not charcoal pits.

In addition, weekend campers should prepare for closed roads in some areas of the Panhandle National Forest. Forest roads on the Lolo side are closed, Sims said. Drivers have been advised to take the St. Joe River Road, or Moon Pass through Wallace.

The fire center is setting up 13 information centers throughout the Idaho Panhandle National Forests, said Bob Kasun, a coordinator for the effort. The stations will be posted on popular forest access routes throughout the Coeur d’Alene and St. Joe River valleys. There, visitors can get the most recent news about nearby fires and potential threats.

The sites include areas like Fourth of July Pass, Placer Creek, two on St. Joe River Road and Emerald Creek Campground. Each site will have two officials available for answering questions.

“We just want to be able to support the district more because (the areas) are so depleted from their resources,” Kasun said.

This weekend, campers will have to learn how to camp like the Lomans. When the sun sets and the cool evening air sets in, jackets must replace the typical warm, crackling fire.

Mark Loman worried if his family was happy with the situation this week because he was responsible for the idea of camping in an all-too-dry North Idaho.

“We’ve been planning this for a long time,” Jerri Loman said. “So fires or not - we were coming. It’s not worth staying home if you can’t have one.”

Staff writer Rob McDonald contributed to this report.