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SALT LAKE CITY -- Salt Lake City firefighters were going to door to door Wednesday morning in the Foothills with a warning for residents, not about flooding, but warning about what will soon be a big fire danger.
And there are two reasons for that. The first is the legislation passed by state lawmakers allowing some kinds of fireworks that were previously banned. The second is the weather, more specifically the amount of the rain Utah has had, which has resulted in a lot of plant growth, as things heat up, these plants will dry out, becoming fuel for fire.
The cheat grass in some places on the hills is six feet tall. It will dry out if a few weeks and if it catches fire it can burn at amazing speeds.
"It's obviously been a very wet season and that lends itself to a great deal of growth and vegetation that is going to dry out in weeks," said Salt Lake City Fire Marshall Martha Ellis. "So it won't be long until we're looking at some serious issues here in the Foothills."
The firefighters were walking the streets of the upper Avenues, passing out literature about wildfire preparation.
One of the main things a property owner can do is create a defensible or survivable space to limit the spread of wildfire near your house--that means, near your home, thinning and pruning trees and shrubs, removing branches overhanging your roof and keep grass and weeds mowed to a low height.
"We look back in the last two years; we had that windblown fire that jumped I-80. It has that same potential up here," said Capt. Richard Boden of the Salt Lake City Fire Department. "We get a wind-blown fire up here we could lose some homes."
Because of what it sees as an increased fire threat Salt Lake City is expanding its fireworks ban for the areas near the foothills--for instance, in the Avenues, they will now extend that ban all the way down to South Temple.
• Set - Situational Awareness When a Fire Starts: Pack your vehicle with your emergency items. Stay aware of the latest news from local media and your local fire department for updated information on the fire.
• Go - Leave early! Following your Action Plan makes you prepared and firefighters are now able to best maneuver the wildfire and ensuring you and your family's safety.
- SLC Fire Prevention Bureau
Email: jdaley@ksl.com
