JFAC has voted 13-4 in favor of setting aside $34.5 million in next year’s budget against the cost of catastrophic wildfires; it’s the three-year average of what the state’s costs have been. “We’re buying fire insurance here, I guess,” said JFAC Co-Chair Rep. Maxine Bell, R-Jerome. “We knew that we had been pretty fiscally responsible, and there was money there. Should we have another bad fire year, it won’t be all paid, but there will be a premium paid.”

Legislative budget analyst Ray Houston said, “Right now their balance is negative, they have over a $13 million negative balance in that fund.”

Idaho spent $60 million on wildfire suppression costs this year. JFAC Co-Chair Sen. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, said, “If the fires don’t occur, then that’s money’s still there. ...This effort here is to try to not be caught flat-footed in the event that we’ve got a heavy fire season in front of us. If there are no fires or the bills are minimal, then that money sits there. Whoever is here next year can look at it at that time.”

The four “no” votes came from Sens. Steven Thayn, R-Emmett, and Jim Guthrie, R-McCammon, and Reps. Jason Monks, R-Meridian, and John Gannon, D-Boise.