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Deputy Fire Chief warns of above‑average wildfire risk; urges homeowner preparedness
Summary
Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Sells told the Coeur d'Alene City Council the city faces a higher‑than‑average fire season because of drought and low snowpack, outlined partnerships and resources for mitigation, and urged residents to sign up for local alerts and follow burn‑permit rules that start May 10.
Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Sells told the Coeur d'Alene City Council on May 6 that state and national forecasts predict higher‑than‑average wildland‑fire activity this summer because of drought and below‑average snowpack.
Sells said those broad forecasts help the department decide when to increase staffing and when the city can safely send firefighting resources to assist neighboring jurisdictions. “The experts are predicting a higher than average fire activity this summer,” Sells said, adding that more localized weather reports due in the coming weeks will refine operational decisions.
Why it matters: Council members heard that nearly all of the city falls inside a designated wildland‑urban interface (WUI). That designation means many Coeur…
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