Firefighters Demonstrate How Quickly Fireworks Can Spark Grass Fire Ahead of Pioneer Day Celebrations
Jul 22, 2018, 6:41 PM | Updated: 6:49 pm
UINTAH, Utah – As Utahns get ready to celebrate Pioneer Day, firefighters are preparing for what could be a long night.
“Beginning the morning of the 24th, all of our gear goes on the trucks and we just kind of hang out and wait,” said Battalion Chief Chris Willden of the Uintah City Fire Department.
Firefighters want people to be aware of dry conditions and any fireworks restrictions that might exist in their area. It does not take much to ignite dry grass, even with something as simple as a sparkler.
“Some kids will end up throwing them. They’ll put them down in some dry vegetation or a pile of garbage or something like that and 10, 15 minutes later we’re getting called out on some type of a fire,” Willden said.
Sunday morning, Willden and his wildland firefighting team demonstrated just how quickly a spark can start a fire with piles of dry grass and fireworks placed nearby.
“We do have a lot of your drier grasses and they’re pretty flammable. I mean, they can go pretty quick,” Willden said. “Your fires will double in size every 60 seconds,”
Willden said a bit of preparation can go a long way.
“Make sure that you have a bucket of water, preferable a water hose that’s running and ready to go,” he said.
