Latest news with #UtahFireInfo
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
BREAKING: Lightning caused fire burning near Duchesne
This is a developing story. ABC4 will update this post as new information becomes available. DUCHESNE COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) — A new lightning-caused was reported to be burning south of Duchesne early Sunday evening. According to Utah Fire Info, the Sterling Fire is lightning-caused and is burning in the Ashley National Forest, approximately 22 miles south of Duchesne. The fire is currently estimated at 7 to 10 acres in size. Utah Fire Info reports the fire is currently burning in steep, inaccessible terrain. Two hotshot crews and aviations are currently on scene to help fight the fire. Dedication ceremony held for Syracuse LDS Temple BREAKING: Lightning caused fire burning near Duchesne Annual Utah Pride Parade held in downtown Salt Lake City Weber County Sheriff's Office mourns passing of K-9 Nova Three people arrested after car chase ends with crash in Nephi Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Stage 1 fire restrictions issued for multiple southwest Utah counties
ST. GEORGE, Utah () — As summer heats up and the fire season gets into full swing, Utah has issued a Stage 1 Fire Restriction order for Washington, Kane and Garfield Counties. 'Due to current and forecasted weather conditions coupled with the extremely dry vegetation conditions in Southwest Utah, the State forester, in consultation with the county commission of the affected county, has determined that measures must be taken to prevent the ignition of forest and rangeland fire,' the order reads, in part. Utah ranks as second best economy in the United States, per report Under , the public is prohibited from having any open fires of any kind except for within established public facilities in campgrounds and picnic areas or in permanently constructed fire pits. The restrictions also prohibit fireworks, tracer ammunition, exploding targets, smoking, and cutting, welding, or grinding metal in areas with dry vegetation. Anyone found in violation of the fire restriction order could face up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. It's been a hot week for southern Utah. The National Weather Service reports St. George hit triple-digit temperatures over the weekend, with highs as hot as 102 degrees on Friday, May 30. ABC4's 4Warn Weather Team temperatures throughout the upcoming week. Daytime temperatures will hover in the high-80s and the low-90s before returning to triple digits for the weekend. Most notably, southern Utah will also see a storm move into the region. This storm is expected to bring a band of heavy rainfall and favorable ingredients for thunderstorms, which have a chance of sparking lightning-caused fires. that have burned over 1,200 so far in the 2025 fire season as of June 2, according to Utah Fire Info. Data shows 171 of those fires were human-caused, burning over 730 acres. In 2024, more than 90,600 acres burned across Utah with 1,244 reported wildfires. Over 700 of those fires were human-caused, burning a total of 29,059 acres. As of writing, there are only two active fires in the Southwest Utah area, including one new start in Garfield County. Utah Fire Info said the Garfield County fire sparked just before 3 p.m. on June 1 and has so far burned a tenth of an acre. Another fire in Iron County, just north of Washington County, also sparked on Sunday afternoon, and similarly burned a tenth of an acre. Utah father and son duo charged for allegedly supporting Mexican drug cartel Stage 1 fire restrictions issued for multiple southwest Utah counties Fetterman claims media trying to 'smear' him over missed votes, absences Trump administration asks Supreme Court to lift judge's new block on mass layoffs Nadler demands congressional investigation into DHS detention of staffer Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
National Weather Service issues first Red Flag Warning of the year in Utah
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The National Weather Service has issued the first Red Flag Warning of 2025 in Utah for Saturday, May 17. The warning is in effect tomorrow from noon to 8 p.m. for San Juan and Grand Counties. According to Utah Fire Info, low relative humidity and high winds are creating critical fire conditions. 'Please use caution with anything that can spark a fire,' Utah Fire Info posted on social media. The affected areas in Utah are known as Fire Weather Zone 490 Colorado River Basin and Fire Weather Zone 491 Southeast Utah. Winds are expected to be heading southwest at 15-25 mph, with gusts up to 35 mph. Relative humidity is estimated at 9-14%, according to the NWS. 'Fires will catch and spread quickly,' the Red Flag Warning states. 'Exercise extreme caution with any outdoor burning.' A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior. These warnings also alert fire managers on federal lands to conditions that are highly unfavorable for prescribed burns and that may lead to especially dangerous wildfire growth. Red Flag Warnings are usually only issued during the spring and fall fire weather seasons, Feb.15 — Apr. 30 and Oct. 1 — Dec. 15. When warnings are issued, officials know to halt planned burns and to be on the lookout for wildfires, according to the NWS. The NWS has outlined the following requirements for a Red Flag Warning to be issued: Ten-hour fuels of 8% or less. This parameter describes how much water is held by small vegetation such as grass, leaves, and mulch that take only about ten hours to respond to changes in dry/wet conditions. Relative humidity (RH) less than 25% for several hours. RH depicts how much water is in the air, relative to the temperature of the air. Winds 20 feet off the ground of at least 15 mph for several hours. Warmer temps Friday afternoon ahead of weekend storms Wasatch Mountain State Park: The crown jewel of the Wasatch Back U.S. Army Sgt. charged with 30 felonies for alleged online sexual relationship with 15-year-old National Weather Service issues first Red Flag Warning of the year in Utah SURVEY RESULTS: Utah GOP delegates asked about stripping party membership from signature-gathering candidates Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
NEW FIRE: Weber County blaze contained at 700 acres
WEBER COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) — A wildfire broke out in Weber County on Friday, according to Utah Fire Info. The 'Rail Trail Unit Fire' reportedly broke out on state lands on Friday, April 25. The blaze is human-caused, officials said. As of late Friday night, officials said the fire is 100% contained at 700 acres. No further information is available at this time. NEW FIRE: Weber County blaze contained at 700 acres Warm, dry start to the weekend but a cool, rainy end Vernal property owner devastated after dirt is stolen, left with a pit Driver in critical redwood crash dies after succumbing to injuries Texas town approves McKinney Texas Temple plans after year-long dispute Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Curtis joins bipartisan bill to reduce wildfire risks in the West after years of devastating blazes
The Silver King Fire burns near homes in Piute County on Sunday, July 7, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Utah Fire Info) Amid a growing number of wildfires, mostly across Western states, a U.S. Senate bill is aiming to protect areas where communities are most vulnerable to fires, using 'good neighbor' agreements, cross-boundary collaboration and the expansion of tools to prevent fire hazards. The bill, titled the Fix Our Forests Act, was introduced Thursday by Sens. John Curtis, R-Utah, John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., Tim Sheehy R-Mont., and Alex Padilla D-Calif. to 'combat catastrophic wildfires, restore forest ecosystems, and make federal forest management more efficient and responsive,' according to a news release. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'After months of bipartisan cooperation and consensus-building, my colleagues and I are introducing comprehensive legislation to support forest health, accelerate restoration, and equip local leaders — from fire chiefs to mayors — with the tools and data they need to protect lives, property, and landscapes,' Curtis said in the release. The U.S. House version of the bill, sponsored by Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., passed the House in January. The legislation designates the top 20% of the landscape areas where wildfires are likely to spread and impact communities, including tribal areas, as so-called Fireshed Management Areas. The areas would be selected based on factors including risks to communities and to municipal watersheds. It would also establish the Wildfire Intelligence Center, an office within the U.S. departments of Agriculture and Interior, which would work like the National Weather Service, a sort of 'national hub for wildfire intelligence, prediction, coordination, and response,' according to a summary of the bill. However, environmental advocates worry that the bill would 'stifle citizen voices, remove science from land management decisions, and facilitate a large-scale rollback of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), National Historic Preservation Act, and National Environmental Policy Act on millions of acres of federal land,' according to a news release from Earthjustice. Blaine Miller-McFeeley, senior legislative representative at Earthjustice, said the proposal doesn't invest in proven wildfire prevention. Instead of funding and staffing key agencies, it 'would codify the Trump administration's attacks on our national forests and open the door for the timber industry to recklessly log our forests under the guise of forest management,' Miller McFeeley said in the release. The bill includes easing some regulations to control vegetation on federal lands, allowing electric utilities with permits on National Forest System or Bureau of Land Management land to remove vegetation near power lines without requiring a separate timber sale. And, it propels advancing innovations on biochar, a carbonized biomass that according to a Utah State University article, has the potential to moderate wildfires and limit the amount of greenhouse gases released when hazardous fuels burn. Utah expected to spend almost $12 million fighting wildfires this year According to the environmentalists — who have also criticized the Trump administration's executive order proposing expanding timber production on public lands — the senators' bill would 'open millions of acres of federal land to logging without scientific review and community input — potentially increasing the risk of wildfires.' Additionally, the bill also contains provisions to expand the country's toolkit to reduce wildfire risk, and other actions to restore forestry, such as extending the time of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003, a stewardship contract, from 10 years to 20. It also raises the cap on Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program awards from $4 million to $8 million. Beyond wildfire prevention and forestry management, the legislation would ensure federal assistance for firefighters who are injured or killed in the line of duty, offering a program to help their next of kin with notifications, travel reimbursement, case management for survivors and centralized access to benefits. The proposal comes after the Utah Wildfire Annual Report indicated a 54% increase of wildfires over a year. Nationwide that spike was of 231%, with nearly 9 million acres burning in 2024. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox expressed support for the legislation, arguing that decades of reduced forest management have left the country with unhealthy, overgrown forests that are more vulnerable to catastrophic wildfires. He also referred to a provision from the bill directing the secretaries in charge of the program to evaluate opportunities to establish wildfire-resistant structures and communities using different materials, including mass timber. 'The Fix Our Forests Act, along with the tools provided by President Trump's executive order, will help us actively manage our forests — protecting our watersheds, improving wildlife habitat, reducing wildfire risk, and providing the timber we need to build strong homes and neighborhoods,' Cox said in the release. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
