Idaho's Fire Fund Crisis | Spokane News

Idaho’s wildfire budget is burning through cash fast—over $20 million already spent this year—with drought turning the state into a tinderbox. With fire risk expected to spike everywhere by August, officials are scrambling after hitting zero in their suppression fund, relying on emergency “deficiency warrants” like a credit card. A fresh $32 million kicked in with the new fiscal year, but another dip could mean back to the same risky system. To stabilize things, lawmakers are eyeing a hike in the forest land surcharge—from 60 cents an acre to a steeper rate for homes in fire-prone zones, where property values and firefighting complexity collide. The land board’s delaying final approval until August to gather more data, even considering a tiered system based on home value. It’s all about securing steady, dedicated funding to fight, prevent, and prepare—before the flames get too close. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/75ec06eebbfbe029