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Idaho's Fire Fund Crisis | Spokane News
Idaho’s wildfire budget is burning through cash fast—over $20 million already spent this year—with drought turning the state into a tinderbox. With fire risk expected to spike everywhere by August, officials are scrambling after hitting zero in their suppression fund, relying on emergency “deficiency warrants” like a credit card. A fresh $32 million kicked in with the new fiscal year, but another dip could mean back to the same risky system. To stabilize things, lawmakers are eyeing a hike in the forest land surcharge—from 60 cents an acre to a steeper rate for homes in fire-prone zones…
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