Chloe Baul

BOISE, Idaho (CN) — On the evening of July 24, a bolt of lightning cracked through the sky, igniting what would become the Wapiti Fire.

Roughly two miles southwest of Grandjean campground, the fire tore across the steep terrain of the Boise National Forest, posing challenges for firefighters right from the very start.

With difficult access points and unfavorable weather conditions, the fire quickly spread — burning not only in Boise County but also across the Sawtooth and Salmon-Challis National Forests in Custer County.

It was a fitting example of this year's Idaho fire season, which has left officials scrambling to keep up. Wildfires are striking more frequently and with greater intensity across the United States, a trend that experts warn will only continue without action to address climate change.

Troubling stats, growing challenges

According to Josh Harvey, chief of fire management for the state Department of Lands, Idaho has had 318 fires this year, which have collectively burned 53,765 acres. Of those, 133 were caused by humans, while 119 were sparked by lightning. Another 66 are still under investigation.

“The numbers show we’re above average in both fires and total acreage burned,” Harvey said, noting that firefighting costs have soared to around $60 million.

Fire patterns have been erratic. North Idaho saw fires early in the season, while the central and south of the state had a late but intense outbreak.

“Early in August, we got some rain and cooler weather that helped calm things down in North Idaho,” he said. “But places like Stanley and Idaho City got hit hard during the peak heat.”

As Idaho's landscape changes, fire seasons are becoming less predictable.

“We’re now seeing fires starting earlier in the year," Harvey said. "If things don’t change, we might even be battling flames late into October. This season has gone from weeks to months.”

The wildfire threat is increasing for several reasons, Harvey said, including population growth and more people moving into areas that used to be untouched.

“Homes creep into areas that used to be full of trees,” he said. “We need to put money into prevention projects and actively manage our forests to lower fuel loads.”

According to Harvey, the Idaho Department of Lands' focus on early detection and quick response is crucial. He said the agency is using high-tech tools like AI-driven cameras to keep an eye on potential fire threats.

“We’ve had a lot of success where mitigation efforts are in place,” he said. “In spots where we’ve reduced fuel, our chances of putting fires out quickly are way better, which ultimately saves taxpayer money.”

The role of climate change

Jen Pierce, an associate professor of geosciences at Boise State University, noted in an interview how climate change is reshaping fire seasons across the United States.

Idaho is no exception. Due to warmer and drier conditions, fires here are becoming larger and more severe, she said.

The introduction of flammable cheatgrass in rangelands also plays a huge role — but forest fires are also increasingly affecting higher elevations. In places that used to be too wet to burn, climate change is turning those areas into hotspots for severe wildfires.

"The reality is that fires are bigger and more severe when it’s warm and dry," she said.

Human-caused climate change is making summers throughout the West warmer and drier, Pierce added. As a result, fire seasons are lasting longer and fires are burning more intensely, especially in higher elevation forests.

Lightning has always sparked fires in these forests. In the the past, though, such strikes would have only led to small blazes.

Now, those small fires can grow into massive ones.