Wildfire season under way

Fire season is here, and though it started slowly, it might escalate. Authorities say it's hard to predict, but the factors that have made it slow to this point could lead to more intense fires later this summer.

Currently, there are 10 wildfires and two prescribed fires burning in Utah. While that number sounds high, Unified Fire Authority Wildland Fires Battalion Chief Duane Woolsey said this year has started out slow for his team.

Of the larger fires to date, the Horse Valley Fire, north of Panguitch Lake, has burned 1,100 acres. The Lake Fork Fire near Indianola in Sanpete County has consumed 260 acres, while the West Scofield prescribed fire has charred 2,500 acres.

The Horse Fire in Zion National Park led to closures on the West Rim Trail from Lava Point to Potato Hollow. There have also been closures in Anderson Canyon and Wife Canyon.

"I'm pretty sure we're going to have one of those years where it's slow initially, which it is right now," Woolsey said. "We're typically out on fires … by the 19th of June, and here it is the 10th of July and we're not out of doors yet."

Which is not to say firefighters aren't preparing. Every year, they spend 80 hours training, followed by projects that are also meant to prepare for fire season and reduce potential danger and damage.

"We're doing some fuel-mitigation stuff, chipping away and removing deadwood and other fuels and trying to make sure we've got some fire breaks set up, so when they hit, we're ready," he said.

Woolsey said those preventive measures might be necessary when wildfires do kick up. The same rain this summer that kept vegetation moist and less likely to burn also fueled the growth of grass and vegetation.

"The grasses are 6 to 12 inches taller than they normally are, and by the amount of grass, we assume we'll have bigger fires later in the season," he said. "I don't see any areas that are going to be at higher risk than they normally are for fire. There's just a chance the intensity will be greater because of the greater amount of ground fuels."

The National Park Service's David Eaker also said a rainy early summer has its advantages and its disadvantages.

"The moisture that we've had keeps fuel moisture high, and it's harder to ignite fires in those conditions," he said. "On the flip side, … rains usually mean a flush of growth in vegetation, and when that dries out and cures and becomes brown, it creates more fire danger, so it's kind of a catch-22."

On the whole, though, Eaker said, officials are "planning for a normal year," which he said was a relative term. Currently, all of the wildfires are being allowed to burn, which he said is an option the park service didn't used to take, despite its potential benefits.