SANDPOINT — Bonner County’s wildfire protection program has reduced hazardous fuels on 1,245 acres of timberland and protected 1,941 homes in the last five years.

“A lot of homes in Bonner County are a lot safer for the effort,” said county Commissioner Joe Young.

BONfire has also cultivated one of the best reputations in the state, according to Bill Love, Forest Practices Act advisor for the Idaho Department of Lands’ Pend Oreille regional office.

“It is a model for others in the state,” Love told Bonner County commissioners earlier this month.

BONfire was founded in 2004 to bridle the threat of catastrophic wildfire by eliminating forest fuels and working with landowners to establish defensible spaces around their homes.

The success of the program, which receives funding from IDL and the U.S. Forest Service through the National Fire Plan, has been attributed to the steady hand of Bob Hatfield, who is stepping down as chair of BONfire’s steering committee.

Hatfield was honored by the county and IDL for his leadership.

“We accomplished a lot of good work here. There’s still work to be done, but we’ve made great strides,” said Hatfield, who is stepping down as chairman.

Nearly $1 million has been spent on a total of 823 projects.

Bob Howard, director of Bonner County Emergency Management, said the average program outlay for protecting structures from wildfire works out to be about $500 per home.

“That’s pretty darn efficient,” he said.

Funding is secure for 2010 and could even stretch into 2011 because of federal stimulus money and pending IDL grants. BONfire has built sturdy bridges with fire agencies in Bonner County, but Hatfield said public awareness of the program is not as robust as it could be.

“We still seem to be the best-kept secret in Bonner County,” he said.

• Information about BONfire is available on the Emergency Management section of the county’s Web site (www.co.bonner.id.us) or by calling 265-8867 (ext. 7).