Estimated read time: Less than a minute
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 Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information.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.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- As wildfire season approaches, fire officials are urging landowners to reduce their risks by clearing fire-prone material from around homes and cabins.
Federal, state and local fire officials say those with homes in forested areas should spend some time this spring clearing gutters, removing branches from roofs and making sure there's no flammable material within 3 to 5 feet of buildings.
Tracy Dunford, fire management officer for the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, says those steps and others, including keeping grass short and watered, improve the odds that a home survives a wildfire.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
