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SALT LAKE CITY — Independence Day looms less than a week away, and Bureau of Land Management officials are hoping that Utahns will take extra precautions to avoid setting wildfires this year.
After a wet winter with heavy snowfall and dense snowpack, many outdoor areas around local communities are seeing readily flammable vegetation, including high-density cheatgrass, according to a Bureau of Land Management press release. Fire in this type of grass spreads quickly and can become impossible to control without firefighter intervention.
In Utah during 2018 alone, more than 485,989 acres of wildfires burned due to hot, dry conditions, according to Division of Forestry records. Though Utah is no longer in a drought, dense vegetation which grew in the spring is starting to dry up, making more flammable biomass become available.
Firefighters in Moab have responded to multiple human-caused fires in the past few weeks that started when burning debris escaped and quickly set alight nearby grasses and weeds, according to the press release. Recent hot and dry weather conditions combined with winds have prompted the National Weather Service to issue red flag warnings for the area.
Escaped fires are highly preventable and lives and can be protected by taking a few simple precautions. Here are some of the Bureau of Land Management’s suggestions to avoid fire-causing activities on the Fourth of July, according to the press release.
- Take your family to a scenic overlook for a picnic.
- Take your favorite hike to a shady spot or water body.
- Go kayaking, canoeing, rafting or paddleboarding on some of Utah’s rivers and reservoirs.
- Watch the colorful sunrise or sunset.
- Visit a local historic site and think about the early Americans who explored and settled these lands.
- Attend a city or county-sponsored fireworks show. Moab will be hosting a fireworks display that can be seen from several spots on public lands.
- Possession or use of fireworks in national forests, national parks or on any public lands is illegal and puts natural areas at unnecessary risk.
- Campfires should be kept small and be fully extinguished until the embers are cold to the touch before being abandoned.
- All burn operations should be reported to the local fire department to prevent ignition of nearby grass.
- Cigarettes need to be properly disposed of.
- Cars driving off of established roads and trails may ignite dry vegetation with hot exhaust pipes or brakes.
- Trailer chains should be kept secure, as sparks can occur when metal is dragged on the ground.
- If smoke or wildfire is spotted, alert authorities via 911.
- Ensure it is legal for you to be using fireworks in your area before doing so.
- Never let young children play with or ignite fireworks.
- Note that sparklers burn at temperatures above 2,000 degrees, so supervise children closely when they use them and note that improper use can result in injury or fires.
- Avoid buying fireworks packaged in brown paper because they may have been made for professional displays and could pose a danger to users.
- Immediately after lighting fireworks, back up until you reach a safe distance. Never leave any body part directly over the fireworks device when igniting the fuse.
- When lighting fireworks, keep a water bucket or garden hose handy in case anything goes wrong.
- Never relight or handle fireworks that aren’t working. Soak them in water and then toss them out.
- Light fireworks one at a time.
- Once fireworks are done burning, douse it in water before throwing it away to prevent trash fires.
