Fire officials urge Utahns to practice fire safety

SALT LAKE CITY — Fire officials are urging Utahns to continue to be cautious this summer as large wildfires are still a threat.

The fires on Maui serve as a reminder of how quickly wildfires can spread, as the combination of dry conditions, low humidity, and strong winds are a perfect combination.

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Read more: Utah Firewatch 

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Other than the Thompson fire currently burning, a spokesperson with the Unified Fire Authority said here in the valley, there haven’t been any significant fires this season. However, that doesn’t mean we’re in the clear.

“I think a lot of times we think, you know, we’re here in the middle of the valley right here that’s not going to happen to us,” said Kelly Bird, spokesman with the Unified Fire Authority. “But look at what did happen there.”

#ThompsonRidgeFire Community Meetings

Great Basin Team 5 to host community mtgs in Junction & Beaver. Junction mtg will be at the fire house on Mon, 8/14 at 6 p.m. Beaver will be at the City Center on Tuesday, 8/15 at 6 p.m. Meetings will be streamed on the Fishlake NF Facebook pic.twitter.com/k1OQq5xVT5

— Utah Fire Info (@UtahWildfire) August 13, 2023

Bird said most large wildfires are human-caused, so practicing fire safety is essential.

“When we get those red flag warnings, we’ve got to heed them, we have to take it seriously,” he said.

Making sure you’re not being unsafe while putting on a campfire, throwing cigarette butts, or burning debris out outside your home to help mitigate the problem and prevent more tragedies that large flames can bring.

Four new Utah wildfires started within 24 hours of each other

“We are at a risk of (serve wildfires) happening to our neighborhoods that are not next to wildland areas, that are just (in) regular neighborhoods, there is that risk that exists,” Bird said. “So, we need to make sure that we’re doing everything we can to eliminate those risks.”

For more tips to keep in mind this summer, you can go to the Utah Fire Sense website.