By Nancy Perkins
Deseret Morning News
Copyright 2007 The Deseret News Publishing Co.
ST. GEORGE, Utah — Southwestern Utah’s wildfire season is about to begin, and fire-management officials are warning that danger levels are above average.
“Safety is our number-one concern,” said Ron Wilson, southwest area manager of the Utah Department of Natural Resources for Forestry, Fire and State Lands. “We kind of prided ourselves that we hadn’t lost any homes over the years, but last year, we lost four houses and a trailer. We really need the public’s help in preventing fires.”
On Monday, fire-management officers held a news briefing on the 2007 fire season for southwest Utah. The roundtable discussion included a plea for the public to use common sense and to obey any fire restrictions that could be imposed by the state.
“Prevention is a big thing. People need to be careful about fires. If they’re the cause of a fire, they’ll be billed for the cost of fighting it,” Wilson said. “Everybody that fights fires here is well-trained in what they do, we just need the public’s help.”
Late spring storms in southwest Utah have fueled the growth of cheat grass, an invasive plant that dries quickly, ignites easily and helps wildfires move rapidly. State fire management teams already are reducing some of those grasses by setting controlled burns in specific locations.
“Several times we’ve had wildfires jump a four-lane freeway,” said Michael Melton, southwest area fire management officer with the Utah Department of Natural Resources. “If anybody had a silver bullet for cheat grass, you could make a million right now.”
Of the 846 fire starts recorded in southwest Utah during 2006, 10 percent of those fires were caused by people, said Scott Clemans, public-affairs specialist for the North Kaibab Ranger District.
“That’s about 85 fires. That’s a big deal,” Clemans said, adding about 98 percent of the fires are caught and contained within the first 24 hours, before they become serious problems. But there are dozens of fires each year that scorch the ground, devastate forests and threaten homeowners.
Two years ago, residents of New Harmony, Veyo and Gunlock were evacuated after wildfires surged toward their towns. A few homes in New Harmony were singed by the flames, but serious damage was averted because of the preventive measures taken by the town’s leaders and homeowners.
“There was a fuel break around the town of New Harmony. That break slowed down the fire and gave firefighters time to get resources where they were most needed,” said Kevin Greenhalgh, Dixie National Forest fire-management officer.
Several communities in southwestern Utah have stepped up to form fire councils and develop plans to make their communities fire-safe, said Melton.
“Now is the time for people who have created survivable space around their home to maintain it,” he said. “Clean off those roofs and gutters, rake up those leaves and branches, and create a defensible area around your home, if you haven’t already done it.”