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ST. GEORGE — Due to the ongoing volatility of the fire season, local fire agencies have postponed Washington County’s burn season until further notice. The Bureau of Land Management also announced earlier this week that it is extending fire restrictions on public lands spread across several Southern Utah counties.
“The area remains extremely dry and brittle,” Hurricane Valley Fire Chief Tom Kuhlmann told the Washington County Commission last Tuesday. “We had crews throughout the county fighting fires throughout the state of Utah.”
Due to high temperatures and extremely dry conditions, the permitted burn season, which usually starts Sept. 15, has been suspended until it is colder and hopefully wetter, Kuhlmann said.
“Fire chiefs in the area consulted with one with another and felt that (allowing permitted burns) is not a wise thing to do,” he said.
During this year’s fire season, area fire crews have also been sent to combat fires in Colorado, California, Oregon and Idaho.
“It’s not just Utah that’s dry – it’s dry throughout the Intermountain West,” Kuhlmann said.
Read the full story at St. George News.
