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Early wildfire season predicted in drought-stricken Nevada
By SCOTT SONNERMay 14, 2021 GMT
RENO, Nev. (AP) Nevada fire officials say the worst drought conditions the state has seen in two decades should make for an early start to the wildfire season in the coming weeks.
But they have hope that the worst threats will subside when the usual summer monsoon season that was absent from much of the Pacific Southwest the last two years is expected to materialize in July.
Gov. Steve Sisolak joined state and federal managers this week to provide wildfire outlook across Nevada, where 95% of the state is in severe, extreme or exceptional drought, according to the National Weather Service.
Deseret News
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Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
Less than a year ago, Lehi resident Matt Gonzalez found himself in a “surreal” nightmare as a fast-moving wildfire approached homes along Traverse Mountain.
“It looked like the whole neighborhood was going to catch on fire at one time because, honestly, as close as our houses are if one house caught fire it would have been like a domino effect,” Gonzalez said.
The state experienced 1,547 wildfires in 2020, according to statistics provided by the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, and the total cost to suppress those fires reached $60 million. And an ongoing drought impacting Utah is only increasing fire officials worries that 2021 will be worse.
Utah wildland firefighters getting ready for another busy season
CAMP WILLIAMS Wildfire season remains weeks away, but Utah s wildland firefighters are already prepping for what they expect to be another busy year. We had a decent year in regards to precipitation, but we haven t overcome the drought that we ve been in for a long-term period. I think that could come into play, and it definitely worries us, as well, as firefighters, said Matthew McFarland, Unified Fire Authority spokesman.
Capt. Jon Slatore, Unified fire management officer, noted that last year the state saw a high-than-average number of fires, though most weren t considered large in acreage.