Red flag warning in effect for southern Utah — what this means for wildfires

ST. GEORGE, Utah (ABC4) — Temperatures are soaring across southern Utah, and with gusty winds in the forecast, fire officials say it wouldn’t take much for a spark to turn into a fast-moving wildfire. Conditions have prompted a red flag warning, which means that any new fire could spread quickly and be hard to control.

Nick Howell of the Bureau of Land Management spoke to ABC4.com about what this means.

“We have some really warm temperatures, and then we have some really gusty winds that are forecasted today as well,” Howell said. “And in the event of a wildfire starting under those conditions, we expect fires to get big really fast.”

Officials said that moisture has been minimal this year, so higher elevations pose a big concern.

“What we’re seeing is the higher elevations like up in the timber country, up in the mountains, are much drier this year than they were last year and the year before, and most of that is because of a lack of precipitation and snowpack overall,” Howell said.

With the fire risk so high, fire crews have to work longer hours.

“Typically, on days like today and when we have those critical fire weather conditions, we do extend our firefighters,” Howell explained. “They are on standby usually typically two to 4 hours later, depending on those weather conditions and the fire danger of that given area.”

Human activity continues to be one of the biggest drivers of summer wildfires, and Howell says that a little extra awareness can go a long way in preventing them.

“We have a lot of people dragging chains on tow trailers, we have a lot of people driving around on some worn out tires, and in those hotter temperatures, when they give out, they throw steel belts into the dry grass and the dry vegetation that usually contributes to a fair amount of human-caused fires every summer,” Howell said.

With many rural communities throughout the state surrounded by flammable brush and timber, officials stressed the importance of prevention and mitigation.

“We have a lot of communities at risk in southwest Utah, so that’s always on the top of our minds. How do we protect these communities the best?” Howell stated. “We try to remove some of that hazardous fuel that would be available to fire some of the overgrown and dead vegetation.”

We have already seen instances of wildfires in Utah this season. Spanish Fork Fire & EMS responded to a fire in the river bottoms, and luckily, it was quickly extinguished. In a Facebook post, they reminded everyone to be careful when you burn, weld, camp, or any engage in any other activity around vegetation.

Another fire in southern Utah has not been so fortunate. As of Monday, according the Navajo Region Branch of Fire Management of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bridge Creek fire on the northwest side of Navajo Mountain has spread to approximately 260 acres. The fire was caused by lightning, but it shows just how important it is to limit any human causes of fires.

According to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the fire is burning in steep, hazardous terrain, limiting ground crew access. Water drops from aviation crews are being done in order to slow the fire’s progression.

“Current operations are focused on preventing the fire from spreading into Horse Canyon and protecting communication towers located to the southeast,” the Bureau of Indian Affairs wrote in a news release. Additionally, officials are concerned about cultural resources and sacred aspects of the mountain, but they reported that there are no immediate threats to the Navajo Mountain community currently.

The red flag warning remains in place through Monday night. Fire officials are asking everyone to be extra careful outdoors–and remember, it only takes a spark.