Idaho Gov. Butch Otter will join National Guard and state Homeland Security officials on a helicopter tour of wildfires burning in the Pine and Stanley areas today, along with some on-the-ground stops; he'll then meet with reporters and share what he's seen. It's an issue that's personal for Otter, who many years ago was a wildland firefighter himself, and who spent last Thursday, Friday and Saturday at his log cabin in Pine, clearing pine needles, downed branches and other flammables away and removing keepsakes from the cabin as the huge Trinity Ridge fire burned toward the small communities of Featherville and Pine.

Otter's had the riverfront cabin since April of 2001; it was a favorite getaway during his three terms in Congress and a jumping-off point for hunting trips; he has fond memories of family Thanksgivings there in years past, though he's had little chance to get there in recent years. "I'm ashamed to say that it has been a good two years, except for this last weekend," he said today. While Otter and First Lady Lori Otter were at the cabin, they removed keepsakes including a letter from then-President Ronald Reagan that Otter had framed and kept on the wall. "We were able to get all the pine needles and pine cones, all that kind of stuff cleared out," he said.

While he was there, he also attended three public meetings at a local senior center. "The crews just came in and did a tremendous job of planning, explaining to us ... why we should leave," Otter said. "When we left, we told them, 'We're gone,' so they didn't have to worry about us being there."

It's a log cabin, but Otter said he's glad it has a metal roof, given the fire danger. Asked how smoky the air was during his visit, Otter said, "Oh, it was awful, it was awful."

While he was working around the cabin, a news crew from KTVB-TV caught up with him; he said with a chuckle that after footage aired of him operating a chainsaw, he got a call from Valley Tool, where he buys and repairs his saws, saying, "Hey, get in here and get a pair of safety goggles!" Otter said sheepishly that he had the goggles; he just hadn't put them on.