The wildfire season in Utah is rapidly approaching as the warm weather draws nearer. In 2018, a large number of fires in the area and surrounding Castle Country affected many in the community.
According to officials with the Federal Wildland Fire Association, crews are now weeks behind in regards to preparations for the 2019 wildfire season due to the current government shutdown. Casey Judd, head of the association, believes that even if the government were to open soon, there is not much hope for crews to fully catch up on their workload.
This shutdown, which is now the longest in U.S. History, is preventing crews from maintenance and prevention such as controlled burns, brush clearing, mandatory training, hiring of new staff and more. There has also been some reported concern of crews choosing to switch to local departments.
With no end in sight for the shutdown, the best advice that can be given by the association is for land and homeowners to work on preventative measures on their own.