Month: July 2026

Idaho Capital Sun

By Laura Guido

BOISE, Idaho (Idaho Capital Sun) — Idaho state fire officials have spent more than $20 million fighting wildfires so far this year, and conditions are expected to worsen as the fire season continues. 

Idaho Department of Lands Director Dustin Miller told the State Board of Land Commissioners on Tuesday that the agency expects to be reimbursed from other fire agencies for about $5.7 million of those costs for suppressing fires, leaving the state with around $15 million to pay so far. 

“Looking ahead, fire conditions are expected to become more challenging as we continue on through (the) fire season,” Miller said.

He said persistent drought has elevated the risk of fires, especially in northern and southern parts of the state. By August, the entire state is expected to see above-normal fire risk, Miller said. 

Idaho’s 2026 wildfire season – so far

Statewide, more than 60,000 acres have burned on state, federal and private land. About 4,000 acres have burned on state endowment land. The majority of the fires are human-caused, Miller said. 

The agency covers costs with fighting fires on the more than 2 million acres of state endowment land, and sometimes shares costs through agreements for fighting fires with other jurisdictions, such as federal agencies or cities. 

The Claremont Fire in the Boise foothills is 6,800 acres and about 85% contained, Miller said. Firefighters from the Boise Fire Department, the federal Wildland Fire Service and Department of Lands have all worked on the fire, Miller said. He told the land board members it is not yet clear how much the state owed on that operation. 

Last month, the state’s wildfire suppression balance hit $0, the Idaho Capital Sun previously reported. This meant the state has been paying for active firefighting efforts through “deficiency warrants” in a process likened to paying off wildfire costs with a credit card. 

State officials propose forest fire protection surcharge increase to cover ‘preparedness fund’ 

The state agency, in an effort to stabilize its funding for “fire preparedness,” is also proposing an increased surcharge on forest land owners.

While the state’s wildfire suppression fund is used to cover the costs of actively fighting a fire, the state has separate wildfire preparedness funding. These preparedness funds are used to hire and trail personnel, buy equipment, install infrastructure to detect and respond to fires, and fund other prevention activities. 

Some of the money for the fund comes from what are called “Forest Fire Protection” tax assessments. Private and state land owners on forested parcels in Idaho pay additional costs on their property tax bills to cover costs associated with protecting their properties from wildfire. 

The assessment is set at 60 cents per acre, charged at a minimum of 25 acres, with a $40 surcharge if a residential structure is on the parcel. The surcharge was last increased in 2009. 

State Forester Julia Lauch told land board members that agency staff recommends increasing the surcharge to $90 per qualifying parcel. 

“This provides a level of dedicated funding necessary to stabilize the dedicated fund and reduce the program’s dependence on the fluctuations of general fund appropriations and uncertainty of federal preparedness grant availability,” Lauch said. 

The maximum rate is set by Idaho Code, but the agency, with land board approval, sets the actual rate. The Legislature this year passed House Bill 511, which would allow the surcharge to be set up to $100. 

The surcharge is meant to reflect the reality that residential buildings in forested areas and the “wildland-urban interface” often raise costs associated with fighting nearby fires. 

“They typically present the greatest suppression complexity and require additional firefighting resources to respond to incidents, protect lives and property, and suppress the fires,” Lauch said. 

Because stakeholders did not know the proposed new surcharge rate, land board members voted Tuesday to delay a final decision on the new charge until the August meeting. 

“I would like to get more information from you,” Attorney General Raúl Labrador said Tuesday. 

He said he wanted to explore a tiered process, in which parcels with more valuable structures potentially receive a higher surcharge. 

Secretary of State Phil McGrane said he supported the rate increase, but also supported the idea of receiving more information before making a final decision. 

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