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Wildfires are ravaging Northern California, and some of our Utah firefighters are helping there. But fire bosses expect they'll be fighting fires here soon, as Utah is heating up and drying out.
Last year, Utah sizzled through its biggest wildfire season on record. This summer there have been few fires so far, but firefighters and equipment are ready to go.
California wildfires intensify each day, and more lighting strikes are on the way. Utah firefighters know fires will take off here soon.
"What we're looking at is a fire season that's a little later than usual. But when it hits, it will be a rapid and quick fire season," said Bob Tonioli, assistant fire management officer for the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest.
Last summer in Utah, firefighters battled 1,385 wildfires; more than one-third of them were human-caused, and nearly 650,000 acres went up in flames.
Since Utah is not burning, and Northern California is raging, a couple of 20-person crews and a few trucks were sent there. "Wherever the fires are, those that aren't burning send firefighters to assist those who are burning," Tonioli said.
Utah County today showed off its new specialized fire response vehicle. It's called the TATRA Ultra XT and is one of only 26 in the country. It's a big asset to Utah County and any other area that needs help.
"Out in the deserts, that's where it really opens up. It's got full capability. It can replace several engines with the water and the staffing that it has," explained Kevin Cortez, Utah County assistant fire warden.
It may deploy to fight fires along the Wasatch Front or in other states. Typical wildland fire engines are 4X4 and carry 750 to 850 gallons of water. The TATRA is a 6X6 and carries 2,000 gallons of water or 50 gallons of foam. It can also climb slopes up to 45 percent.
"It really can cover a lot of different jobs that would normally take several specialized trucks to do," Cortez said.
For information on current fire and firework restrictions, click the related links to the right.
E-mail: jboal@ksl.com
