SARATOGA SPRINGS, Utah — Three wildfires in four days have kept first responders in Saratoga Springs busy — and kept some residents on edge — as one of those fires, named the Glambert Lane Fire, prompted evacuations.
“When the winds are high and temperatures are high and humidities are low, it is a recipe for fire,” said Saratoga Springs Fire Chief Kenny Johnson.
“My in-laws were actually here watching our dog,” said Adam Edwards who lives in the area that was evacuated Saturday. “They were like, ‘Hey, there’s a big fire coming. What do you want us to grab?’”
Edwards was driving home from California when he got the panicked call as the Glambert Lane fire approached.
Quick-fire responses helped to knock down each of the three fires that have hit the area in a four-day span.
Glambert Lane was the most significant, which started on state land and burned 175 acres.
The other two started within city limits, and Johnson noted target shooting within the city is illegal.
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There aren’t any plans to have fire restrictions in the Lake Mountain area yet, and Utah County says they don’t plan to restrict shooting either.
But the human-caused nature of these events is a worrying trend for officials.
“It has always been a problem around that area, and some of it does even happen where target shooting is legal,” said Spencer Cannon.
Cannon, formerly of the Utah County Sheriff’s Office, recalls these issues coming to a head in this same Lake Mountain area about a decade ago.
“There were an especially large number of fires,” Cannon said. “I don’t remember the exact number, but I know it was in excess of 20.”
That led to Utah County doing a land swap with the BLM in 2016 to create the Soldier Pass shooting range.
Yet even now, Johnson says 80% of the wildfires Saratoga Springs crews have battled the last two years were caused by target shooting.
“This is a team effort between first responders and the firefighters that are out there doing the work, policymakers and our community members,” said Johnson.
With 200 acres of land in and around Saratoga Springs now just scorched earth, Johnson says people who are going out to recreate should choose the safe option.
“I think whether or not target shooting is allowed on the lands in which you are currently recreating, I think being smart about the conditions is important,” Johnson said.
He says especially on red flag days, choosing to go to a range like Soldier Pass or indoor locations can make a big difference.
“As the summer goes on, those resources will become thin,” said Johnson. “So the message that we want to share with our communities is to be exceptionally cautious this year.”
