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With lots of new growth and a hot dry summer ahead, Utah fire departments are working to mitigate fire risk, and helping people prepare in case of an emergency evacuation.
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Besides fire risks and a bump in fire department calls, the air quality on the Wasatch Front also takes a hit over the holiday.
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“With it being so dry and with the fuels just ready to go, we're pretty much issuing red flag warnings almost every day at this point,” said Mark Miller, a National Weather service meteorologist who forecasts for southeast Utah.
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Emergency personnel in Southwest Utah are already battling frequent fires as the extra grass and brush that grew during the wet spring are providing more fire fuel as they dry out.
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Bigger populations don’t always translate into bigger tax bases for cities, so investments like new fire stations and equipment are a balancing act.
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“[The drought’s] probably not going to go away in one year, but we are in a better situation than we were this time last year,” said a state coordinator.
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Of the 26 wildfires that started over the weekend, all but three of them were human-caused. There are five still burning.
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People are the leading cause of fires in Utah. Currently, the biggest concern for officials is campfires.
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Earlier this year, fire potential was high because of human-caused starts and restrictions were put in place to tamp down on them. Now, they’re being lifted because of improved conditions and human behavior.
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The Parleys Canyon Fire has some officials looking ahead at emergency preparedness, specifically evacuations. One wildfire expert gives advice on how to prepare for one.
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Emergency agencies counted 1,100 fires last July, during the peak season for fireworks in Utah. And, even though fireworks caused only some of those…