Officials warn Utahns to have ‘fire sense’ ahead of upcoming wildfire season

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s fire season is quickly approaching and officials are warning people to do what they can to stop this year from being worse than usual. 

During a news conference marking the beginning of the the state’s “Fire Sense” campaign, fire officials said more than half of wildfires are human caused. So, Department of Natural Resources Executive Director Joel Ferry said Utahns need to do what they can to avoid being part of the problem.

“From things like properly dousing our campfires, to checking the tires and chains on your trailer, and being aware of things like red flag conditions,” Ferry said.

Director of Forestry, Fire and State Lands Jamie Barnes said people need to use their fire sense to protect Utah’s red rock deserts, forested lands and vast open spaces.

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“We can’t control lightning, but we can control sparks from vehicles, target shooting, campfires and more,” Barnes said.

Efforts on the ground in the off-season

In addition to educating people about how to prevent human-caused wildfires, the Bureau of Land Management said it has been working through the off-season to clear fuels and reduce the risk of fire.

Gov. Spencer Cox spoke at the news conference about how he does not want Utah to be devastated by wildfires like California was earlier this year. He said he recently visited and had conversations about the widespread damage created by several deadly wildfires back in January.

“We want to make sure that doesn’t happen here, but let me assure you that it could happen here if we’re not careful,” Governor Cox said.

“Utahns cannot be complacent” about fire danger

Cox went on to say that with dry and hot conditions on the way in the next couple of months, Utahns cannot afford to be complacent. 

Even with our recent wet weather, Basil Newmerzhycky with the BLM’s Great Basin Predictive Services, said some areas, especially in Southern Utah, have drought conditions and carryover fuels from previous fire seasons, that are ripe for wildfires even sooner than usual.

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“When we have large-scale drought over the winter that affects our snowpack, [with] lower than normal snowpack, that directly affects the middle-to-higher elevations, our heavier fuels, and our timbered areas,” Newmerzhycky said. “The general consensus is that the drier things are and also the lower the snowpack in the higher elevations, the quicker the ground becomes exposed to the free air when the snow melts.”

Newmerzhycky showed maps at the news conference indicating drought conditions, and which areas were most likely to see fire activity in the next couple months. Southern Utah is the most at-risk and he predicts we could start seeing fires pop up as soon as early-to-mid June.

For all of these reasons, Cox issued an executive order earlier this year, establishing a new wildfire management working group. He said the working group will ensure Utah is coordinated, proactive, and ready for the challenges of 2025.