‘Matching faith with action’ — Gov. Cox discusses wildfires and drought in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — During his monthly press conference, Governor Cox began by discussing the wildfires and drought across the state, pleading for the public to be vigilant of fires and to cut back on water usage.

“We are in the thick of wildfire season right now, and unfortunately we’re seeing the extreme kind of fire behavior we hoped that we would not, but were warned was very likely,” Gov. Cox said.

He explained that there have been a similar number of fires when compared to last year, but conditions are much worse. Healthy snowpack from the last two years means that there is a lot of vegetation, making good fuel for fires, and conditions are much drier when compared to last year.

“We are heartbroken for those who have lost homes and livelihoods, and we’re grateful, profoundly grateful, that no lives have been lost,” he said. “To our firefighters, our first responders, and community leaders: thank you for your incredible efforts under very difficult conditions.”

He stated that 72% of the wildfires from this season were human caused. “That we can prevent. Lightning is out of control, but dragging trailer chains, abandoned campfires, and target shooting in dry brush are not,” he said.

He called for vigilance when it comes to fires. “Please, please, please, be vigilant,” he said, adding that people should use their fire sense, “which is really just common sense.”

When it comes to drought, Gov. Cox said that the entire state is now in moderate to severe drought conditions. He added that there has been an increase in water usage this year. Reservoir levels reportedly dropped 10% between June 1 and July 1, about five times more than is normal.

“Please, please, please, use less water. It’s okay to have yellow lawns this year, we give you permission not to keep them up and keep them green,” he said.

A few weeks ago, Gov. Cox declared June 29 a “Day of Prayer and Fasting for Rain.” In today’s press conference, he combined calls for prayer with calls for action.

“We need more than just good policy,” he said. “We need hope, and from every corner of our state. Whether you share that belief or not, the message is clear: we all have a role to play in conserving water.”

“We’re matching faith with action,” he added, saying that there are water use incentives and rebates available. He also encouraged everyone to visit slowtheflow.org to learn more about how to conserve water.

When asked about agriculture, he said that agriculture producers are cutting back significantly on water usage due to the dire water situation.

He also said that a vast majority of the wildfire issues in the state right now are a result of mismanagement or lack of management of lands, particularly mountainous lands. He used the Forsyth Fire as an example, saying that areas where land had been properly managed had a noticeable difference compared to areas that had not, both in terms of damage and the ability to protect structures and property.

However, he also stated that officials are doing more to manage those lands, and he thanked both the Trump and Biden administrations for their efforts.

“Bad decisions over the past 30 or 40 years have led to these catastrophic wildfires,” Cox said. “It’s not the only reason, there are others as well, and climate change is part of that for sure.”