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FILLMORE — Where there's smoke there's usually fire; however, the smoke that could be seen just east of Fillmore Wednesday afternoon signaled an effort to prevent bigger fires.
"It just takes one little spark in the summer and it's off to the races," said Bryce Monroe.
Monroe is a wildfire manager with the U.S. Forest Service and has seen his fair share of big wildfires in Utah. That's why seeing all the smoke near Fillmore made him happy.
The project he's in charge of that has been in the planning stages for more than a year was finally happening.
"Our No. 1 benefit is to protect the community of Fillmore and the surrounding structures," said Monroe. "This helps to accomplish that."
Many homes in Fillmore are close to the mountains near the boundary of Fishlake National Forest.
A lot of dead wood and thick brush have become overgrown in this area through the years. If a wildfire started here, it could quickly burn out of control.
Fire crews intentionally started a wildfire Wednesday morning so they could control it.
"We're trying to remove the heavier fuels, the stuff that's going to burn more intensely, and bring it down to some more moderate light fuels that are easier to manage if wildfire starts," said Trevor Riding, who is on the fire management crew with the Bureau of Land Management.
The timing of this project couldn't be any better. With dryness being predicted for this year, it could be a busy wildfire season.
"I think the combination of the last few years being droughts, and then coming into this year, is what has people nervous about what's going to happen," said Riding.
Related:
California, Utah, Western states face scary wildfire season amid drought
Jason Curry, deputy director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources, said fire responders are already in preparation mode.It's also why these controlled burns have become priorities across the state. They give fire crews a head start before it really gets hot and dry.
"It's just got people a little bit worried," said Monroe.
Firefighters also say, more than ever, we all have to be careful with our campfires.
"We all like to recreate. I love to recreate, but we need to be cautious and not leave any unattended campfires," said Monroe. "We get a lot of (fire) starts on the freeway from chains dragging and things like that. We have to be careful."
It's a message we hear every year, but the majority of wildfires in Utah continue to be human-caused. Since this wildfire season looks like it could be a tough one, it's a message fire managers really want people to think about.
