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BLM determines cause of 114-acre Boise-area wildfire on July 4

By Nicole Blanchard Idaho Statesman

Fire crews have contained a wildfire that ignited south of Boise on Monday evening, and Bureau of Land Management Boise District spokesperson Jared Jablonski told the Idaho Statesman that officials have already determined a cause.

Despite igniting on the Fourth of July, the blaze wasn’t caused by fireworks, Jablonski said. Investigators found that it was shooting-related – an activity Jablonski said has caused more fires than usual on the Boise District this year.

In May, the Bureau of Land Management put a fire prevention order in place through October for all of the land it manages in Idaho – nearly 12 million acres. The order prohibits the use of fireworks, steel-core ammunition, exploding targets and other items that can explode or ignite.

Jablonski said it doesn’t appear that exploding targets were involved in the Monday fire.

BLM property is popular for target shooting, but the agency asks that people avoid firing at metal targets and shooting at or into dry brush areas. People who go shooting on public land should bring a shovel and water or a fire extinguisher to stop any fires that may start, Jablonski said. They should also pay attention to conditions.

“If it’s windy and hot and dry, maybe wait for another day to go shooting,” he said.

The fire started shortly after 8 p.m. near Talon Lane in Kuna, a little more than a mile from the Peregrine Fund’s World Center for Birds of Prey. Officials named it the Talon Fire. Crews from the Boise and Meridian fire departments joined Bureau of Land Management firefighters to battle the blaze.

The fire – which fire burned grass and sagebrush, according to Jablonski – was contained by around 11:30 p.m. Monday, and Jablonski said it was to be fully extinguished by 6 p.m. Tuesday. It burned about 114 acres, but no injuries or structure damage were reported.

Erin Katzner, spokesperson for the Center for Birds of Prey, said the fire didn’t touch the organization’s property or appear to have an impact on its birds.