TROY — Troy High School senior Halee Bohman asked Idaho Gov. Brad Little on Thursday what the state is doing to ensure firefighters across Idaho have enough sustainable resources to fight wildfires in a safe and efficient manner.

The topic was of particular concern to Bohman because her father, Troy Volunteer Fire Chief John Bohman, is one of many firefighters trying to extinguish the Sand Mountain Fire east of Laird Park near Harvard.

The Republican governor, who spoke to a crowded room at the Troy Lions Club as part of Little’s “Capital for a Day” event, said the state is taking measures, such as the emergency declaration he issued for wildfires last week, to combat the fires. Little’s declaration mobilized Idaho National Guard firefighters and aircraft to assist in the effort.

But still, resources are extremely difficult to come by.

“We don’t have enough resources,” said Idaho Department of Lands Director Dustin Miller, noting resources are stretched thin across the western U.S.

The Leland Complex, which composes the 1,250-acre Sand Mountain Fire and the 542-acre Pine Creek Fire east of Juliaetta, is the sixth-priority fire in the northern Rocky Mountains, Miller said. He said many resources are going first to fires that are threatening lives, structures and public infrastructure.

Before Little’s stop in Troy for Capital for a Day, in which Little and state department heads fielded questions from residents, he stopped at the Leland Complex Incident Command Post at Deary High School. Idaho Department of Lands officials briefed Little and about 20 others in the room, including local elected officials, about the Leland Complex fires.

The Sand Mountain Fire is zero percent contained and the Pine Creek Fire is 90 percent contained, according to an IDL news release Thursday.

“We’re seeing historically dry fuels and historically dry conditions that we haven’t seen in a long, long time,” Miller said.

Miller said several fire managers and fire wardens he spoke with told him they do not recall a wildfire season starting so quickly and so early in the year.

“Firefighter fatigue and safety is a huge concern,” Miller said. “We worry about burnouts. We really more than ever are monitoring that.”

Little said the state is trying to work with the U.S. Forest Service to reduce fire risk next to areas where people live.

“What do we do to lessen the fuel load and still maintain good forest health?” Little asked..

Little said U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, wants to have a nationwide discussion about how to prevent wildfires, and Little said he wants to be part of the talks.

He said he would like to see loggers trained to fight fires so they can immediately start extinguishing a fire if one ignites in the woods while other firefighters respond to the scene.

Nez Perce County Commissioner Doug Zenner told Little grazing should be emphasized to reduce wildfires.

“Fish and Game, Department of Lands, I’m ready to sit down with you today and talk about what to do in the future to get grazing back in my county,” Zenner said. “It’s time to come to a solution.”

Little said minimizing fire risk will take a combination of efforts, including grazing, the right type of logging and prescribed burns.

Little said the most important goal is keeping people safe from fires.

“I just pray that we don’t have a big dry lightning storm come through and start a bunch more of them,” he said.

Besides fires, local residents asked questions and shared concerns about water shortages, potential breaching of the four dams on the lower Snake River and education.

“Water quantity really does impact water quality, so we’ve got quite the concerns,” said Idaho Department of Environmental Quality Director Jess Byrne.

He said the most important thing is coordinating with other state agencies to make sure they are on the same page when it comes to water quality and the activities that impact it.

“Not only are we seeing problems with the quantity of water, but we’re seeing higher demands on those waters than we’ve ever seen,” said Byrne, noting Idaho’s growing population.

Capital for a Day was suspended in March of last year because of COVID-19. This was the second event to be held since COVID-19 vaccines became widely available and it’s the first time since July 2019 that it’s been held in north central Idaho. The intent is to give people around the state a chance to meet with the governor and other state officials without having to travel to Boise.

Cabeza can be reached at (208) 883-4631, or by email to gcabeza@dnews.com.