SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's wildfire season is off to an explosive start, with more acres burned so far this year than in any of the past 10 years.
According to state fire data, 753 wildfires have burned more than 472,000 acres across Utah so far this year. That's more acreage than any wildfire season over the past decade, despite having significantly fewer fires than some previous years.
The closest comparison came in 2018, when more than 1,300 fires burned nearly 439,000 acres statewide.
This year's record-low snowpack and widespread drought have left vegetation exceptionally dry, allowing many fires to grow rapidly once they ignite. Instead of seeing a larger number of smaller fires, Utah has experienced fewer fires that have become much larger and more destructive.
Those larger fires are also having another consequence: they're releasing significantly more carbon into the atmosphere.
"A lot of these fires are burning in wooded areas, forest, heavily forested areas, areas where there's a lot of stuff to consume and of course emit into the atmosphere," said Derek Mallia, a professor of atmospheric science at the University of Utah. "Some of the air quality concerns or issues that we've had, and I would say a good deal of them are definitely coming from our own wildfires."
Smoke from Utah's wildfires has contributed to hazy skies and reduced air quality across parts of the state throughout the summer. Forest fires typically release much larger amounts of carbon than grassland fires because they consume dense vegetation, trees and accumulated forest fuels.
Mallia says drought conditions and heat-stressed forests are making the landscape increasingly vulnerable to large fires. With several weeks remaining in Utah's wildfire season, both the number of burned acres and the amount of carbon released into the atmosphere could continue to climb.
State officials continue to urge Utahns to use extreme caution with anything that could spark a wildfire, as hot, dry, and windy conditions remain favorable for rapid fire growth.
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