State-Owned Land Largely Escapes Fires

More than 722,400 acres of forest and rangeland are burning throughout Idaho, but state-owned lands so far have been relatively unscathed.

State Department of Lands Director Stan Hamilton credited luck and easier firefighter access to state acreage than to the largely backcountry tracts where 25 major wildfires continue to rage.

He estimated the state’s general fund would face a $5 million to $8 million hit for firefighting efforts on about 8,500 acres of state land - including about 2,500 acres of timber - mostly on the margins of two blazes in the Clearwater National Forest. An estimated 20 million board feet of timber might be salvaged from the burned areas, which Hamilton said could be worth about $7.5 million.