Travel Tips

BY MELISSA FIELDS

BY NOW YOU’VE LIKELY HEARD ABOUT THE HISTORIC DROUGHT CONDITIONS ACROSS ALL OF UTAH, setting the stage for one of the most potentially dangerous wildfire seasons ever. Does that mean indulging in some of summer’s sweetest rituals—camping, riding ATVs in the backcountry and sitting around the warm glow of a crackling campfire—are out of the question? Not as long as they are done so responsibly. Following are tips to consider before you head out on that camping or river trip you’ve been looking forward to all winter long.

BE FLEXIBLE As of mid-June 2021, more than 300 fires had already sparked up across Utah (90 percent of which were human caused.), signaling the early beginning of what’s almost sure to be a very active wildfire season. Thankfully, wildfires are generally localized and impact only the immediate areas where they occur. Utah covers more than 54 million acres, offering plenty of geographical alternatives for recreation. Regardless of where you’re headed in Utah—to one of the national parks or forests, BLM land or a state park—the most up-to-date wildfire information can be found at Utahwildfire.gov (@UtahWildfire on Twitter and Facebook). For extra peace of mind, consider make alternative plans or reservations. The cancellation fees for camping, cabin and backcountry lodge reservation portals, like recreation.gov and reserveamerica.com, are minimal and changes may be made within days of scheduled arrival.

PRACTICE RESPONSIBLE CAMPFIRE PRINCIPALS Every part of sitting around a campfire—from how the hairs standing up on the back of your neck at the conclusion of a ghost story to the sticky-crunchy sweetness of biting into a s’more—hold an almost universal nostalgia. After checking utahwildfire.gov for in-effect fire restrictions, be sure to practice these Leave No Trace campfire ethics when indulging in this time-honored summertime ritual: have a bucket of water and shovel on hand, build your campfire in a designated fire ring only (a makeshift stone or portable metal fire ring doesn’t count), keep the fire small and when you’re ready to go to bed or leave, douse the flames and stir with a shovel until the coals are cool to the touch. And never, ever build a campfire in high winds. Note: propane fire pits and cook stoves are OK to use during campfire bans.

BE AWARE OF THE OTHER COMMON WILDFIRE CAUSES Campfires that get away from people or that are left unattended, however, are just one of the humantriggered causes of wildfires. An even more frequent cause is target shooting. When rocks are used as a backstop for targets, the resulting ricochet sparks can easily ignite dry grasses and other close-to-the-ground fuels. Good vehicle maintenance is also must when the fire danger is high. Ensure the tires on your car are properly inflated to avoid sparking-throwing blowouts, avoid parking or driving over dry vegetation and keep the chains on your RV and trailer hitch from dragging or hitting the ground as you travel. ATV or motorcycle riders should strap a fire extinguisher to their rig before heading out on the trail.

IF YOU SEE A WILDFIRE OR SMELL SMOKE Call 911. Though Utah’s public lands are managed by several different agencies, including the Utah Department of Natural Resources, the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service, 911 dispatchers are trained to route a wildfire report to the proper jurisdiction.

STAY INFORMED A red flag warning is a weather-related forecast indicating that warm temperatures, low humidity and strong winds have or will significantly elevate the fire danger. The National Fire Danger Rating System is used daily during wildfire season by the U.S. Forest Service to help visitors understand current conditions and prevent human-caused fires. The “adjective” ratings—low, moderate, high, very high, and extreme—are typically posted at the entrance to national forests and/or parks within Smokey Bear signs. UDOT’s Emergency Alert page lists wildfire-caused road closures and re-routing information.

For more tips to navigating Utah during fire season, check out the visitutah.com website.