University of Idaho students are wheezing, sneezing and coughing — thanks to the haze of smoke that has engulfed campus and the Moscow community for the past week.
A State Disaster Declaration has been issued in Idaho due to the 10 uncontrolled wildfires that have burned approximately 794,000 acres. The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality issued an air quality advisory Sept. 13 because of the health risks posed by the heavy smoke.
Although the advisory has been lifted from Latah County, the air is still not clear and walking to class can result in tear-filled eyes and a coughing fit.
Breathing in the smoky air is uncomfortable and annoying, but this inconvenience is a petty concern in comparison to the impact wildfires have had on the rest of the state.
In Idaho, 80 residents have been issued a voluntary evacuation order because of the Karney Fire in Boise County. The county, along with the Idaho Bureau of Homeland Security, requested federal funding to help fight the Karney fire. The Federal Emergency Management Agency authorized the funding, which is intended to pay 75 percent of suppression costs for fighting fires that are likely to cause damage to residences.
There are also five active wildfires in Washington, according to the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service. Although the Wenatchee fire in central Washington isn’t as large as those in Idaho, it’s culminating enough smoke to reach the greater Boise area.
Residents of about 150 to 200 Washington homes southwest of Wenatchee were urged by officials to evacuate Wednesday due to the rapid growth of the Table Mountain Fire Complex.
Of the 10 wildfires in Idaho, five are severe enough to require type one fire fighting teams, meaning large numbers of personnel and equipment are necessary to safely manage the fires.
It’s easy — and all too common — to complain about having to walk to class in Moscow surrounded by an uncomfortable haze. But the reality is that people are risking their lives to put out these fires, or being forced from their homes.
Not to mention the farmers and ranchers in southern Idaho whose livelihoods have been devastated by the wildfires. The man and lightning-caused fires have burned several hundred thousand acres of public and private rangeland, which will take years to grow back. The smoke-filled air is a short-term nuisance for us, but the wildfires have damaging long-term consequences for the environment.
It’s cliché to say that there’s always someone worse off than you. In instances such as this, however, it’s also true. The next time you find yourself complaining about the smoke, remember to have compassion toward those in more compromising situations.
— BK