UFA's fire mitigation measures underway in Big Cottonwood Canyon

COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS — Some of the largest fires in Utah history still rage on with little to no containment. The Monroe Canyon Fire has ravaged tens of thousands of acres. And the Beulah Fire has grown to 3,000 acres.

With more than 700 fires this year alone, the Unified Fire Authority isn't taking any chances. On Tuesday, wildland fire crews were working to help mitigate fire risk in Big Cottonwood Canyon.

It's a place hikers and campers go to bask in the beauty of the outdoors. From the mountains and trees to the rolling rivers, it seems like an outdoor oasis. But UFA says it also poses one of the biggest fire threats.

Wildland Fire Specialist Tyrell Osterud preps his fuel mitigation crew for the mission ahead.

"The mission for today is fuel mitigation for the homeowners in Brighton," Osterud said. "The reason being is these trees are dead or on their way out."

This creates dangerous fuel for a fire, Osterud explained.

"So they're going to cause somewhat of a fire hazard in the future."

It's the reason the UFA fuel crew carried out a tried and tested plan.

"Once we get (the trees) down on the ground, we'll buck them up, line them up and then we will place all of the heavies here for firewood," Osterud said.

After the trees are safely felled, one of the most important parts of their protocol is clearing out debris left behind from those trees. This will mitigate future fuel. It's an effort UFA crews have tried to prevent since their first deployment in 2018.

"Our fuels crew comes out from April to October. They work with homeowners, they work with the community. We recognize and we point out threats," said Public Information Officer of Unified Fire 40, Benjamin Porter.

But even with mitigation measures in place, UFA said they still need your help. They said fire safety and prevention takes a village.

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