SALT LAKE CITY — After 13 homes in a southern Utah community burned in the Forsyth Fire over the weekend, fire experts are sharing what homeowners can do to take preventative action in case a fire were to happen in their community.
“This time of year is most important to keep your grasses low, keep your homes defensible or survivable,” explained Jennifer McBride, statewide program coordinator for the Utah Division of Forestry Fire and State Lands
The wildfire in the Pine Valley community proves what officials always say: that all it takes is one ember to spark a disaster. It's something Kelly Bird with Unified Fire Authority says they've seen before.
"An ember blew, and it’s getting into these areas that’s overgrowth and it’s unkept, and so that turns into something that spreads and it creates a fire," Bird explained. "We’ve had a few of those recently.”
Longtime Pine Valley resident's home safe for now as neighbors, friends lose theirs to Forsyth Fire:
Those assigned to keep people safe from damaging wildfires want people to keep their homes as safe from fire as possible.
“[Keep] about a 30-foot barrier is what we’re looking for," Bird said when talking about the suggested distance homes should sit from burnable materials.
Creating that barrier just takes some yard work.
"We are talking about any type of overgrowth: excessive trees, excessive bushes, if it’s up touching your house, over the top of your house, we’re trying to help people understand could present a risk,” she said.
The Utah Division of Natural Resources added that fire danger isn't limited to forest areas.
“Now we’re in fire season, so it should be top of your mind, especially if you’re moving in areas that are right against the mountains or even down further into town,” McBride said.
Bird added that it's important to make sure nothing is sitting underneath anything that is flammable.
“They typically say anything up to about four to six feet off the ground, you want to eliminate those, those are called ladder fuels," he shared. "Get rid of them so that they don’t feed a fuel source, such as a tree.”
Homeowners are also encouraged to consider outside collectables or storage.
“That’s another hazard that can present some of that risk that we want people to be thinking about," added Bird. "Maybe I need to clear some of this out, get rid of it.”
Only one ember can cause a sudden tragedy, but McBride reiterated how there are numerous ways for people to protect themselves.
“[Homeowners] can do a lot to keep their home safe and survivable from wildfires if they’re doing simple things around their home and property before the fire event starts.”
