KAMIAH— As fires continue to burn in the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests, forest officials remind hunters that cooler temperatures don’t mean the fire danger has passed.

September and October can bring a wide variety of weather patterns and conditions that seem to make fire seasons go on and on and on. As cooler nights begin to take hold, live vegetation (notably brush and other deciduous shrubberies) begins to lose its vigor and moisture content until the first real frost kills it completely.

When this occurs prior to widespread rain events, it can add to the overall fire danger and the ability for fires to move on the landscape in places that may not have been recently active. In turn, many areas of the forest that people use for hunting, fishing, and foraging become impacted by these fires. Maintaining public access to these lands, when and where it is safe to do so, is always a priority for forest officials when considering any trail, road, or area closures.

New closures have been issued for multiple fires due to increased fire activity. For the latest Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests closure information, please visit https://bit.ly/NPClwNF-AlertsNotices. Closure orders specific to wildfires are also listed on the forest’s Fire Information Webpage (http://bit.ly/NPCFireInfo).