HERRIMAN, Utah — It's "Chipper Days" in the Hi-Country Estates I area of Herriman.
Residents in this community have gathered up brush and dead trees. Firefighters with the Unified Fire Authority have brought in a wood chipper and it becomes mulch for people's gardens. Residents order food for the firefighters to thank them for their work protecting homes.
Terree Kay helps organize the annual event to reduce the area's wildfire risk.
"The first year we did this in 2010, I organized it and we had 12 homes participate," Kay told FOX 13 News on Wednesday. "Which was not a lot, but I was grateful for it and it was all done in one day. This year we have 54 homes."
Kay has seen wildfires threaten homes before and her community has had some close calls. She views the "Chipper Days" event as essential.
"It’s called living with wildfire. We live in a wildland urban interface and that’s a part of it," she said.
A report prepared for Governor Spencer Cox indicates a lot of communities should start doing the kind of work that Hi-Country Estates I does. It warns that communities across the state of Utah must do more to prepare for catastrophic wildfires.
The report, commissioned by the governor in a recent executive order, outlines a number of steps the state should do to ensure communities are ready. Wildfire season in Utah used to run from June to October, but the report said it is now "year round." Utah already has strong coordination with local and federal resources to respond to a wildfire, with the nearest crew being the one to respond.
But the report recommends more proactive communication with residents about wildfire risks, such as risks of roadside starts, agricultural burning in adverse weather conditions, target shooting, etc.
"Communities are encouraged to leverage all available resources to create tailored evacuation plans that address their specific wildfire risks," the report said, urging local governments to do assessment risks, understand demographics (such as elderly or people with pets) and even consider when sheltering in place is better than an evacuation itself.
Stage 1 Fire Restrictions in effect for multiple Utah counties due to increasing dangers:
"Develop, promote, and exercise clear plans for alerting and communicating with communities that might face an evacuation due to wildfire. Beyond the initial evacuation alert, ongoing public information will be critical to keep the community informed of the ongoing situation," the report added.
Another significant issue the report identified is a lack of firefighters.
"The majority of the fire departments consist of volunteer firefighters. Volunteerism is down significantly even in Utah, 'the volunteer state,' with life and job demands there are wide opportunities to improve in this area. This is especially true when it involves wildland fires, which often are longer-term time commitments for fire departments as compared to other shorter-duration emergencies," the report said.
Why is Utah's wildfire season growing by weeks across the state?
The report to the governor recommended offering health care benefits to seasonal firefighters and increasing funding for crews specifically created to quickly respond to wildfires. That would be something the Utah legislature must consider.
The report also looked at catastrophic wildfires in California as it explored wildland-urban interface areas and a lack of water to fight fires. It also suggested a change of approach when it comes to fires that begin burning multiple structures.
"Independent firefighting actions and focus indicate a strong will to try to protect individual structures as part of the normal culture, instead of understanding the broad picture and the need to be strategic to limit the spread to many more structures," it said.
When it comes to wildfire prevention, the report urged more action to remove fire hazards on private and public lands. It also suggested utilization of artificial intelligence with the help of satellites, ground-based heat detection and drones to view spread.
"Even more strategically, even under the best of scenarios, under extreme conditions, firefighting resources are too little and too late; mitigation must take place well before a fire, and evacuation planning and practice are key. Indeed, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Utah could have a similar wildfire-caused urban conflagration; the Brianhead and Dollar Ridge Fires of 2017 serve as cautionary tales," the report said.
In a statement, Gov. Cox praised the report.
"Fire Sense is Utah's call to take personal responsibility for preventing wildfires. And it's working: human-caused wildfires in our state are significantly below the national average," he said. "In response to my executive order from April, the state is releasing the Strengthening the State's Wildfire Preparedness report. It outlines how we're building on that success with improved coordination, taster response times, and proactive fuel reduction efforts across Utah."
Herriman city officials said they work to ensure neighborhoods are protected. Located in the south end of the Salt Lake Valley, Herriman has a lot of hillside properties that make them particularly vulnerable to wildfire, said city spokesman Jonathan Lafollette.
"We’re always evaluating the efforts we make for emergency preparedness for operations during an emergency," he told FOX 13 News.
Kay said she recommends other communities do what they can to reduce their wildfire risk. She urges people to keep grasses mowed down, clear up weeds and leaves. She hired a neighbor kid to help with removing leaves around her home and they filled 20 bags.
"Help your neighbor if you can. It’s not just about you," Kay said. "Your home is as protected as your neighbor’s is."
Read the governor's report here:
