Proudly Serving Stevens and Ferry Counties, Washington
A cold front moving through on Saturday will bring dry, windy conditions to the Inland Northwest Saturday afternoon through Sunday morning. Gusts 35 to 45 mph will be possible.
Impacts
Temperatures cool 7 to 10 degrees Sunday behind the front
Warmer and breezier weather may return to Columbia Basin Tuesday
Special commissioner’s meeting, Thursday August 27, 2020 at 18:30, (6:30pm)
Purpose: Orient water district
Due to the COVID-19 proclamation the special commissioners meeting is not open to the public. The minutes will be available for review on the website at jfpd3-8.org
To help prevent wildfires, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is temporarily banning the discharge of firearms for target-shooting or other purposes by anyone not engaged in lawful hunting. This ban will apply to 3 million acres of DNR-managed lands. This includes state forests, community forests, and forested state lands. The temporary ban goes into effect at 12 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 15, 2020.
“We are entering a period of hot, dry weather across our state, including the highest temperatures we’ve seen all year,” said Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz. “As conditions get hotter and drier, wildfire risk increases significantly, and we must take reasonable steps to prevent human-caused fires. I know this is an inconvenience for recreational target shooters, but we must do all that we can to ensure that our firefighters do not have to put their lives on the line to fight a preventable fire. When conditions improve, it will be lifted. But for now, we must put the safety of our communities and firefighters first.”
Discharging firearms poses a greater risk in dry conditions as bullets pass through decayed wood, cause sparks off rocks, or break into fragments in dry grass. This year, DNR has already responded to a greater number of fires than the ten-year annual average.
This temporary rule does not restrict hunting.
A burn ban is currently in effect on DNR lands statewide, and fire danger on most of the east side is rated as “high” or “extremely high.” Residents should check burn bans in their areas.
Commissioner Franz is encouraging private landowners to consider target shooting restrictions on their own lands.
The ban on discharging firearms for target-shooting, or other non-lawful hunting with firearms, is in effect until further notice.
Anyone who spots a wildfire should call 911 as soon as possible to report it.
DNR Recreation and Leadership
Led by the Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz, DNR manages nearly 1,300 miles of trails and 160-plus recreation sites in 3 million acres of working forest state trust lands and 92 natural areas. DNR trust lands keep forests development-free, provide clean water, and generate revenue for public services and school construction. To learn more about recreation on DNR-managed lands, visit dnr.wa.gov/go.
Commissioner Franz and DNR staff are also responsible for preventing and fighting wildfires on 13 million acres of private, state and tribal-owned land. DNR is the state’s largest wildfire fighting force.
Fire Danger: Very High / Extreme
Burn Ban: Rule and Permit burns are banned
Fire danger level is very high. All debris burning on DNR jurisdiction is prohibited. This includes rule burning and permit burning. Campfires are allowed in approved, designated campgrounds only. Contact the county for information on recreation burning and debris burning on improved property.
Due to COVID-19 proclamation, the commissioners meeting is not open to the public, but minutes will be available for review.
Outdoor burning, the use of charcoal briquettes, and prescribed burns are banned on all forest lands through September 30, 2020. The following exceptions will apply: Recreational fires in approved fire pits within designated state, county, municipal or other campgrounds. As approved in writing by the Commissioner of Public Lands or Department Supervisor, approved prescribed fire for ecological purposes, when conducted by trained professionals. As approved in writing by the Commissioner of Public Lands or Department Supervisor when there are compelling reasons for such an exception.
Additionally, all open flames are prohibited in the unincorporated areas of Ferry County. This order is not intended to preclude the use of backyard barbecues, chimneys or other patio/deck warmers as long as only approved fuel is used; seasoned (clean and dry) firewood, briquettes or propane. Approved campfires at designated places in parks and campgrounds are also allowed as determined by agencies with jurisdiction. Disposal of vegetative waste in a recreational fire is prohibited. This restriction is in effect immediately and until further notice.
Additional information can be found in the proclamations. You can read them here. They’re short.
Joint Fire District 3&8 memo to all 3&8 fire fighters.
Hello all, here with a few items I need to address before this year’s wildland fire season.
1). Thanks to all who have completed this year’s online refresher course, for those who have not completed, please take the time a do so.
2) Dozer operations and transport.
a. Transport, we need to define who has the capability to operate 3898 (lowboy tractor trailer) and document a road test on this vehicle.
b. Dozer Operators, we need to define who has the capability and skill to operate the dozer and provide seat time before wild land season. I would like utilize the property on Carson road for dozer line construction.
C. Dozer boss, I know only a hand full of our fire fighters at one point in time completed dozer boss training. I would like to offer this class to those willing to take this task on. Keep in mind that a dozer boss needs to be arduous. (walk long distances)
May 27th 18:00 here at the Training Center will be a transport class, this will involve the operation of 3898, vehicle review and inspection, loading and unloading procedures and basic dozer operation for loading and unloading. Here is your chance to show us your skills as a transport operator, see you here.
June 1st 18:00 here at the training center, Basic dozer operations for operators. This will also be a station captains meeting date. We will transport the dozer to the training site and evaluate dozer operators. So if you think you have the skill and talent as an operator here is your chance, attend this meeting. Everyone one to meet here at the T.C. first.
With the Covid 19 pandemic, we need to practice social distancing. Please do not attend if your feel sick or have a temperature above 100°. Face mask will be required if you are at high risk.
I would rather cut fire line with a dozer than hand tools, we need to start utilizing our equipment. Please provide me with any feed back or questions and thank you for your services.
Originally published by Readers Digest
You probably always have some water bottles on hand, and now, as the COVID-19 quarantine continues with no end in sight, many people are stocking up on big packs of bottled water to make sure that they don’t run out. But it turns out that bottled water actually won’t last forever. When’s the last time you checked the expiration date on your bottled water? Plus, here are our tips for stocking up smart—whether or not there’s a global crisis.
That’s right! Bottled water DOES expire. And while the reason why meat or dairy products have a sell-by date is pretty self-explanatory, you might be surprised that bottled water comes with a time stamp, too.
As it turns out, it isn’t the water quality you should be worried about. It’s the plastic that the water comes packaged in: usually polyethylene terephthalate (PET) for retail bottles and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) for water cooler jugs. These plastics “will leach into the liquid the bottle once expired or especially when exposed to heat, including sunlight, and hot cars or storage trucks,” according to Amy Leigh Mercee, holistic health expert and bestselling author. “The toxicity contained in the plastic material enters the water.” Also, you’d be surprised by how often you should be washing your refillable water bottle, too.
And not only does this affect the taste of the water, it could create a serious health hazard. “It is disruptive to the endocrine system, causing reproductive symptoms, various cancers, [and] neurological problems, and damaging the immune system.” The porous plastic can also cause the water to accumulate odors and other nasty accompaniments from outside.
So how do those expiration dates keep you safe from this? “Many bottled water companies print a standard two-year expiration date,” Mercree says, but admits that this is a rather arbitrary number. There’s no precise way to predict exactly when the water in the bottle is no longer good to drink, but “it stands to reason that the longer the bottle has been in circulation, the more likely it was exposed to heat or has started to generally degrade,” Mercree says, hence the “standard” two years.
But she warns that the quality of the water can depend on several different factors. “Even a brand new plastic bottle that sat in a hot delivery truck for hours or more can already have adverse and toxic compounds present in the water even when first delivered to the grocery store,” she says. But, as a general rule, as long as you drink it reasonably soon after you buy it, don’t expose it long-term to intense heat or keep it too close to any household chemicals, and refrigerate it once it’s open, your bottled water should be perfectly safe. You should also be keeping an eye out for these other non-food items you didn’t know had expiration dates.
Joint Fire Protection District 3&8 is pleased to announce our new to us (2010) 1100cc wave runner for swift water rescue. Thanks to John Kearney and Robert Lee’s talents, this wave runner was restored to like new condition. This year past year alone we had three situations where this type of vessel could have been used. Now we have the equipment, it’s time to get into the water and do some training.
There has been some confusion among the public as to what exactly are the rules for burning. Below is a pfd which explains what you can burn, how to burn, and whether or not you need a permit.
It’s an easy read. Only two pages long. Read it over so you don’t get a ticket for unpermitted burning.
Remember, large forest fires start from a small spark.
JFPD 3&8
25266 Hwy 395 N
Kettle Falls, WA 99141
(509)738-4591
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Stevens and Ferry Counties, WA
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