Regional fire starts top five-year average

COLVILLE – Statistical fire starts in the Department of Natural Resources Northeast Region this year have exceeded a five-year average so far, according to a report from the DNR.

On the flip side, acreage burned is below the five-year average, a figure skewed somewhat by the fact that almost 650,000 acres was burned in 2015 from Jan. 1 – Aug. 31.

In the period ending Aug. 31, the four units that compose the Northeast Region have seen 494 statistical fires — 474 caused by human activity. The five-year average is almost 481.6, with 376.8 human caused and 103.8 started by lightning.

Of the fires in 2020, 32.8 % have been started by debris burning —158 fires. The next closest is miscellaneous at 15.6 %, 77 fires, and undetermined at 10.9 %, 54 fires. Recreation, under investigation and power lines round out the next three of the 14 total categories of fire starts.

The debris burning stat may also be a bit skewed owing to a change by the Northeast Region on how it counts something as a fire. Prior to this year, if a unit responded to a fire report and found a debris burn where the individual didn’t have any escapement from the pile, but wasn’t in compliance with the rules, it would be categorized as a false alarm and the individual issued a citation or notice to comply.

This year, a similar instance is now counted as a statistical fire. But according to DNR Northeast Region fire prevention and Firewise coordinator Guy Gifford, the rule change doesn’t account for that much of the jump in debris burning fire starts.

“The intuition is we also had an increase of debris burning,” Gifford said. “Outdoor burning has always been one of the biggest cause of fires for us.”

The statistics bear that out as the five-year average shows debris burning second as a source of fire starts at 19.2 %. Topping the list — lightning at 21.6 %.

In 2020, lighting accounted for just 20 fire starts, 4 %, the lowest over the past five years. The highest was in 2015, 183 fire starts.

Of the four units that comprise the Northeast Region, the Arcadia Unit — which consists of Spokane County and northern Lincoln County — has had the most fire starts at 289 of the regional total of 494. Of those 289, 88 (30.45 %) were from debris burns.

Gifford says he has a hypothesis why debris burning contributes so much to fire starts. Based on an informal study, he said there are three factors: 1) Individuals performing debris burns don’t scrape or plow a ring around the pile, 2) Short-notice changes in the weather, and 3) Fires are often left unattended.

“Those are the three reasons it becomes a statistic,” Gifford said.

As for the 7.3 % of fires still under investigation, Gifford said by the end of the year that should be down close to zero as investigators work their way through evidence. Fires under investigation, however, generally point one way.

“If it’s under investigation, it’s 90 %-plus it’s human (caused),” Gifford said.

According to the report, acreage burned in the Northeast Region was under the five-year average of 145,174.4 — coming in at 26,043.4 through Aug. 31. Gifford said that will change as September fires in the region, such as the Palmer, Cold Springs and northern portion of the Pearl Hill fires, will add to the total.

In the Arcadia Unit, which had just under 1,000 acres burned through Aug. 31, the largest was the Whitney Fire west of Davenport at 127,430 acres while the Babbs-Malden/Manning fires that started Sept. 8 burned 18,254 acres along with 70-80 percent of the towns of Malden and Pine City. Most of that fire was in Whitman County, located in the DNR’s Southeast Region.

And while cooler weather will help with wildland fires, Gifford doesn’t expect it to completely slacken other fire starts. With cooler, wetter weather comes the relaxation of burning restrictions, which will lead to the resumption of debris fires.

“In two weeks, what will happen?” Gifford asked. “People will start burning outdoors.”

John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.