Firefighters prepare for wildfire season

ST. GEORGE, Utah — As spring temperatures increase, wildland firefighters and public land managers are anticipating and preparing for what could be another challenging fire season.

“May and June are forecasted to be hotter and drier than normal, likely bringing increased wildfire threat to lower elevations,” Fire Management Officer Josh Tibbetts said. “Roadside fires, abandoned campfires, and debris burning on private lands were the leading causes of human caused wildfires in 2021 for Utah.”

According to a release, fire managers in the Color Country Interagency Fire Management Area (southwest Utah and northwest Arizona) are “working closely together to prepare.”

They encourage the public to recreate responsibly while enjoying Utah’s public lands.

“There is a good possibility that many areas of southwest Utah and northwest Arizona will again go into fire restrictions this summer,” Tibbetts said.

“Fire Sense,” an interagency campaign aims to prevent unwanted wildfires by educating on the safety precautions when doing things that might produce heat, sparks, or flames.

“Additional safety measures include being careful where you build campfires, completely extinguishing campfires with water and being aware of where you park your vehicle. A hot exhaust system or embers from a campfire can result in a very dangerous situation for firefighters and the public. Target shooting in dry grass is also an increasing wildfire cause in southwest Utah. The use of fireworks and exploding targets are always prohibited on public lands.”

The release also mentioned the importance of maintaining vegetation around homes to prevent them from becoming hazardous when critically dry.