Firefighters creating safety zones in Duchesne County ahead of wildfire season

FRUITLAND, Duchesne County — The buzzing sound of chainsaws and the crunch of bulldozers are becoming more common in the Pinion Ridge area of Duchesne County between Fruitland and Duchesne, but it’s not for development.

It’s for safety.

Crews from multiple fire departments across Duchesne County are working together to clear trees, branches and brush to create what they call “safety zones.”

These are large areas of open space designed to slow down wildfires and protect nearby homes and people if flames move in.

“We’re using our fire departments across the county to help run this situation,” said Josh Phillips, who is the manager of Duchesne County’s Fire and Emergency Management.

The goal is to buy time for both residents and firefighters.

“A safety zone needs to be big enough and large enough to protect those people as it passes through,” Phillips explained.

Even though there’s no major wildfire burning in the area right now, fire managers across the state say now is the time to prepare.

The wildfire season officially begins June 1, and the risk this year is above average across Utah with higher temperatures and drier conditions expected.

Phillips said these safety zones could make the difference between chaos and control.

“It’s an escape route, it’s a safety route for them getting out in case there’s a fire,” he said. “It’s a place for fire units to mobilize and start planning an attack for the fire, so yeah, it’s very important.”

One of the biggest concerns for fire officials, though, is getting homeowners to understand the importance of “defensible space.”

That means clearing out trees and shrubs close to homes, something many mountain property owners might be reluctant to do because of the beautiful natural scenery and setting.

“We understand everybody wants their trees and stuff, but maybe they can see this work we are doing and see that it’s not that bad,” Phillips said. “If they can do this defensible space around their locations and their houses, it’s just going to help. Fire crews that see a home with defensible space will try to save that property during a wildfire because it is safer for them to do so. A home without defensible space is more dangerous to their lives and safety will always come first.”

A well-maintained buffer around a home can make a big difference when a wildfire is quickly burning into an area.

“It can really slow it down,” Phillips said of an approaching fire. “It can slow it down and give firefighters time to get in there and attack it and get an upper hand, hopefully.”

With the work happening now, officials hope they’ll be better prepared for the upcoming wildfire season.

However, this work needed in this area could take years to accomplish.

“And it keeps going back, so we’ll have to always be on top of it,” Phillips said. “We’ll do it, though. The idea is making sure we give people a safety zone and a safe way to get out.”