Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Tonya Papanikolas ReportingThe summertime wildfire season is already off to an early start in southern Utah. Warm, dry weather has seen to that.
But just because things have been wetter here in the north, doesn't mean the fire danger is reduced! A wet spring produces lots of fuel for fires to feed on.
The problem begins when all the weeds, like cheat grass, dry out. Those grasses normally grow up to 8 inches. But this year they could grow to 10 or 12, creating a lot of fuel.
The rain almost paints a picture on the leaves and plants around us, but in Southern Utah the precipitation hasn't been enough to ward off fire dangers.
Sheldon Wimmer, BLM Fire Management Officer: "The fuels in Southern Utah are extremely dry."
Michael Conger, National Weather Service Senior Forecaster: "They're pretty much getting close to summer conditions down there."
The April rains grew vegetation, and then an unusually hot May dried out the grasses and brush, pushing the fire season off to an early start.
"We're about two to three weeks early."
Already this spring, fire crews in Southern Utah have battled about 75 wildfires. At Smith Mesa in Washington County, a fire burned close to 700 acres earlier this week. Last week, flames torched more than five-thousand acres near Hurricane. Fire crews were on their way to Moab today.
"We have air tankers. Crews are coming in."
Fire officials categorize what fuels a fire by how long it takes the plants to dry out after the rain. One-hour fuels dry out the fastest and are the worst for fires. They include grass and cheat grass.
Ten-hour fuels are heavier shrubs. And thousand-hour fuels like juniper trees take longer to dry out. But in Southern Utah, those large trees are now dangerously dry.
"Even the larger fuels aren't as moist as you'd like. So there's potential to get things going early."
As firefighters get ready for what could be a busy summer, state fire managers analyze humidity patterns to figure out what kind of fire behavior they can expect.
"Low humidity, high temperatures with winds. Then you've got real trouble."
Unfortunately, forecasters predict Southern Utah will see warmer-than-average temperatures this summer, making the situation worse.
So what can you do? If you live in a wooded area, it's very important to clear the vegetation away from your home to make sure it's not a hazard to you and your family.
