Despite the record snowpack and the everpresent talk of spring runoff and flooding, Utah has already seen over 20 wildfires so far this year.
That figure comes from the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands. Kayli Guild, the prevention and communications coordinator, said the fires have been minimal and there’s not a high risk — at the moment.
Thanks to the snow, Utah will likely see a later start to wildfire season. But the bounty doesn’t erase the risk and the next few months will determine how big of a problem it’ll be this summer. The latest outlook from the National Interagency Fire Center forecasts below-normal fire potential for parts of Utah through May. They are predicting normal levels by July as the summer heat rises.
Fire forecasting is complicated and involves a lot of uncertainty, said Jon Meyer, assistant state climatologist at Utah State University’s Utah Climate Center. So it’s hard to predict in April what wildfire season will look like by July.This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aim to inform readers across the state.
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