2 blazes 'ignite' summer fire season

A single-engine aircraft drops fire retardant on the Beet Dump Fire south of Mountain Home on Saturday.

The fire season has arrived.

Hot weather and dry grasses from a heavier-than-normal fuel load caused by the moist spring growth have turned much of the surrounding area into a tinderbox.

Area fire crews were kept busy this weekend with several regional fires, including two in Elmore County, and the outlook for the potential for fires over the next few days has fire crews on edge.

"I've never seen the cheatgrass so high and thick," said Mountain Home Fire Chief Phil Gridley. "People need to be really careful because it won't take much right now to start a fire."

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