The Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands says the wildfire season may start earlier this year.
Utah’s snow is melting earlier than normal, meaning grasses and brush, fuel for wildfires, will dry out earlier. The forestry division’s Kayli Guild said monsoonal moisture will likely pass through the state in July but that also brings risks.
“It's kind of a double-edged sword, though, too, if you look at it,” she said on KPCW's "Local News Hour" April 17. “Monsoons bring rain, but with rain, it typically brings lightning.”
Guild said wildfire danger is highest in Utah from April to November, though wildfires can spark any time of year. For example, the 2024 Yellow Lake Fire in Wasatch County sparked in September and burned for over a month. The blaze consumed more than 33,000 acres in the Uinta Mountains and was the highest priority fire in the U.S. at one point.
Though the Yellow Lake Fire was significant, Guild said 2024 was not an extreme wildfire year.
“Compared to two more of the severe wildfire seasons like 2020, I also recall 2012 was another significant year, ‘24 was less extreme,” she said. “But it was still a wake-up call for folks within the wildland urban interface areas to do their part and to work on mitigation efforts around their homes.”
The wildland urban interface is the area where undeveloped land meets human development. Guild said people who live in these areas, which include much of the Wasatch Back, must prepare their homes for wildfires.
That includes cleaning out gutters, mowing grass and trimming tree limbs so at least 30 feet around homes are free of flammable materials. Guild said anyone with plans to build should consider fire-resistant materials.
Another consideration for Wasatch Back residents, especially those who live near the Yellow Lake Fire, is flash flooding. Guild said that’s because fires leave burn scars.
“Even from just a light rain, what happens is the soil, actually, it kind of deflects, it doesn't absorb in after a fire comes through the area,” she said. “So what happens is mudslides and debris flows and erosion can take place and damage property and roads.”
Guild recommended Wasatch Back residents sign up for weather and flood alerts. More information about fire safety can be found on the Utah Fire Info website.
