WRRFPA Holds Annual Training
On April 27, 2025, the Weiser River Rangeland Fire Protection Association (Weiser River RFPA) held their annual training. The Weiser River RFPA is a volunteer fire fighting association for rural areas. The local RFPA consists of about 80 people, mostly farmers and ranchers, and a group from Idaho Power. The numbers include men and women, some of which are husbands and wives. New members start out with training, and all members do an annual training.
Most RFPAs are created after a major wildfire hits an area. Weiser River RFPA was created after the Woodhead fire, which started September 7, 2020, near Brownlee Reservoir, and burned nearly 100,000 acres. John Bilbao, Chairman of the Weiser River RFPA, discussed why the Weiser River RFPA was formed after the Woodhead fire. The fire was all around us, and because of all of the fires in Oregon and elsewhere, there was a lack of federal fire fighters. During this fire, the local people were out fighting fire to protect their own property. Before the RFPA, the local people had no training and so when the Forest Service or BLM (Bureau of Land Management) showed up they would send everyone home. In some respects, he said that this was understandable, “If we don’t have a radio, nobody’s been trained and if they can’t get a hold of us and something happens, they could get in a lot of trouble, although it is our property.”
With all of this going on, John said, “I heard about the RFPAs and how they gave people, like us, the right to go out and fight fire to protect our own and our neighbor’s property.” He knew that there was a need for this in our area. With this knowledge, he started making phone calls and learning how to put together an RFPA.
The Weiser River RFPA came together in 2021, becoming the 10th RFPA in the State of Idaho. The first RFPA in Idaho was started near Mountain Home in 2012 and was given legal recognition by the Idaho Legislature in 2013. Four additional RFPAs were added in 2013. Through the years the RFPAs in Idaho would increase to ten. Idaho’s RFPAs are local non-profit organizations.
All Weiser River RFPA members pay $250 a year to belong to the RFPA. In the beginning this money went towards insurance. This year Farm Bureau Insurance Company of Idaho gave $5,000 to the Weiser River RFPA. $1,485 to cover the cost of insurance and $3,515 as a donation. Dusty Bryant, from Weiser Farm Bureau Insurance, represented the Farm Bureau Insurance Company of Idaho. She presented a $5,000 check to the Weiser River RFPA, at their training. The Farm Bureau Insurance Company of Idaho has pledged to give all Idaho RFPAs $5,000.
With the extra money available, because the members no longer have to cover insurance, money can go in the bank and be used to buy hoses or other things that are needed. In addition to the dues the volunteers pay each year, they not only donate their time, they donate equipment as needed, and the fuel that goes into their equipment to fight fires.
Annual trainings consist of a refresher and they also talk about what the coming fire year looks like, and how the prior year went. They practice getting in their shelters and going through their radios and other things that the feds want them to be aware of.
John discussed the boundaries of the Weiser River RFPA and why the map is laid out the way it is. The boundary was set-up to fill in the holes in Council, Indian Valley, Cambridge, and Midvale areas, that weren’t previously covered by local fire departments. In setting up the boundaries they were careful not to encroach on areas that were already covered by the local fire departments.
John’s brother Ray had previously worked for the BLM in Southern Idaho for years, and then transferred to our area and went to work for the Forest Service. Ray worked with the RFPAs in Southern Idaho and said that they were great. More likely than not the RFPAs would be on scene before him. They would be fighting the fires, knew all of the territory and could tell him where to go to help out.
When the Weiser River RFPA was putting on their first training, the Southern Idaho BLM came to Cambridge and gave John a hand. They pointed him in the right direction and put on their first training. John said they partner well with the BLM and the Forest Service.
The IDL (Idaho Department of Lands) states on their website that, “Idaho’s 10 RFPAs protect a combined 8.9 million acres of private, state and federal rangeland from catastrophic wildfire – a landscape larger than the state of New Jersey. The areas protected include 1.8 million private acres, nearly 6.5 million federal acres, and 654,000 state acres.” This website also lists each State RFPA, showing the Weiser River RFPA protecting 135,212 total acres, including: 60,246 private acres, 38,252 federal acres, and 27,208 state acres. Based on the IDL website map the federal acres include BLM managed lands, but no Forest Service lands in the Weiser River RFPA. Go to www.idl.idaho.gov/fire-management/rangeland-fire-protection-associations/local-rangeland-fire-protection-associations for more information.
