A wet last few years has kept fuels moist and flames low, according to Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands spokesperson Karl Hunt.
“That's really helped,” he said on KPCW’s “Local News Hour” May 23. “But when that happens, we get a lot of growth, especially in our fine fuel — grasses, cheatgrass, light shrubbery — then they don't seem to really burn the summers after those wet winters.”
So the Wasatch Back’s moisture has increased the overall amount of fire fuel in the landscape, which under dry conditions, could ignite.
Hunt said about 85% of Utah wildfires are human-caused, so forestry and fire officials focus on education. They launched the Utah Fire Sense campaign five years ago. Its website has a host of tips.
“Extinguishing your campfire; if you're going to conduct an agricultural debris burn, steps that might need to be taken to make sure it's done safely; lighting fireworks around the holiday season, steps we can take to not have them start a wildfire; and then, if you're just traveling down the road, there's tips on making sure you reach your destination safely,” Hunt said.
Roadside starts are one of the top causes of human-caused fires, he said. That includes vehicles dragging chains on the ground, which creates sparks.
But overall, Hunt said the state is in good firefighting hands if and when blazes do start. Utah has an above 90% catch rate, meaning those wildland fires didn’t grow above 10 acres.
