Record rain and snow might actually increase wildfire danger this year, officials say

The same rain and snow that filled area reservoirs and break a years-long drought cycle of drought across Utah this winter and spring could actually help fuel more wildfires this year.

Despite the state's record snowpack and a rainy spring, firefighters are worried that the increased amount of grass and shrubs could actually provide more fuels for fire, officials warned in a press conference on Tuesday.

Gov. Spencer Cox, the featured speaker at a press conference held with state and federal fire personnel, said there was a real worry that a hot summer could end up drying that vegetation out and creating a major fire danger.

All the rain that helped make for an unusually green spring has left the area with an abundance of cheatgrass, smooth brome and other annual grasses — or as firefighters often refer to them, “fine fuels.”

The triple-digit temperatures that typically hit southwestern Utah before the end of June usually usher in the beginning of the fire season.

"Most fires start small in grass and shrubs, but with the hot summer approaching, these plants will dry out and become fire hazards," Cox said in a warning sent out on social media.

Southwest Utah and its neighboring deserts in northern Arizona and southeastern Nevada are pegged for a below-average potential for large fires this June, according to the region’s Predictive Services unit of the Bureau of Land Management.

But the outlook worsens looking ahead to July and August, signaling the potential danger if the summer ends up being as hot and dry as it has been in recent years.

Some of the largest fires in the region’s recent history were spread by similar conditions, including major fires that burned through huge chunks of Washington County.

In 2003, the Apex Fire west of St. George burned more than 30,000 acres, and in 2006 and 2007 wildfires burned nearly a quarter of the total acreage of the county. Those fires came despite wet winters and springs in the previous seasons.

Officials warned residents to take precautions and be aware of all the various ways they might inadvertently spark a fire.

All the high grass makes it more likely that a fire could start along the sides of roadways, for example. Some of the causes are obvious, such as cigarette butts being thrown from windows, but others are less so, such as sparks thrown off roadways by trailer safety chains or the heat from a vehicle’s undercarriage starting a blaze when a car is parked over long grass.

State wildfire officials recommend Utahns take some of these precautions as the conditions heat up:

• Making sure you can legally burn in your area. Check with local authorities and obtain a permit.

• Check the weather before you light a fire.  High winds, high temperatures, and low humidity radically intensify fire.

• Choose a safe burning site away from trees or bushes, buildings or other flammable fuels.

• Have the means to extinguish your fire quickly. (Water, an extinguisher etc.)

• Stay with your fire.  Don’t leave it unattended.

• Don’t burn garbage, waste, construction debris, plastic, foam, rubber or other offensive substances.

• Don’t throw lighted material from vehicles, including cigarettes.

• Use fireworks with caution, obey fireworks laws and don’t use illegal fireworks.

• Always extinguish the fire completely before you leave it.

• Never park on, or drive through dry grass.

• Don’t use spark-causing equipment like welders and grinders near flammable material.

• If you live in a wildland interface area, be prepared for wildfire.

• Provide for defensible space around your home and outbuildings.

• Have a wildfire action plan for your family.

• Have your important documents and disaster kits ready to go in an emergency.

• Leave early if a fire threatens your neighborhood.

For more information on fire safety, visit www.utahfiresense.org.

This article originally appeared on St. George Spectrum & Daily News: Wildfire danger in Utah could be high this year, officials warn