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Wildfire season seems to start earlier and last longer every year, and wildland firefighters are training to stay ahead of it.

Deseret News Share this story 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 suppres...

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-a...