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FRUITLAND — Firefighters are encouraging homeowners who live in areas with thick brush and trees to create a defensible space.
For Fruitland resident Brad Wardle, it’s advice he takes seriously.
“It was important to us to protect ourselves from the fire,” said Wardle.
Wardle lives in the Fruitland area of Duchesne County, a place to retire far away from any city.
“It’s an attraction for everybody who lives here. There is seclusion and privacy. People get tired of the city,” said Wardle.
But with so many trees, he knew a wildfire could burn it all down. So he started making what firefighters call a defensible space between his home and the trees and brush.
The recent rain could actually help the brush to grow more around homes, creating a fire hazard.
“(The rain) could bring the grass up, and then when it dries out, it could go pretty bad pretty fast,” said Duchesne County Fire Warden Nathan Robinson.
To learn more about creating a defensible space, you can attend a Fire Fair at the Fruitland Fire House on Saturday, May 23.
