Firefighting resources ready to roll from Utah

Jul 8, 2021, 7:34 AM | Updated: 12:22 pm

utah firefighting efforts ramp up for fire season...

Firefighters from Great Basin Fire keep watch on a wildfire burning on Victory Mountain in Morgan Canyon in Tooele County on Tuesday, June 22, 2021. The fire started after a plane crash. Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

BY DAN BAMMES

Anchor/Reporter

SALT LAKE CITY — Firefighting resources — aircraft, fire trucks and trained crews — are ready to go in Utah this summer. They could be deployed quickly anywhere in the Great Basin fire region, of which Utah is a part. The good news is there’s been less demand for those resources in recent days.

Kait Webb, public information officer with the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, tells KSL Newsradio, says there have been fewer fires so far this month compared to some past years.

More about Utah firefighting: Complete Utah Firewatch coverage

“Last week, for example, we had less fires during that week period than we did in 2020 at the same time and in 2019 at the same time.”

Webb says the Great Basin fire region is at a preparedness level 3 on a scale of 1 to 5 right now, while the national level stands at 4.

“That positive trend that we’re seeing,” Webb said, “is people being responsible, and we’re making a dent on the total number of fires we’re going to have.”

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