Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Threats from Ensign Peak Fire Continue

Yesterday afternoon, a grass fire quickly burned 100 acres above Victory Lane just north of the Utah State Capitol, threatening homes in the area. 

Source: Rich Bowmer | The Associated Press | The Salt Lake Tribune
Smoke from the fire sent a chill up my spine as it emerged from Capitol Hill, illustrating that this was a very serious situation. 


Kudos to the Salt Lake City Fire Department, which responded quickly and got the situation under control.  According to the Salt Lake Tribune, only one home was damaged.  Three firefighters were, however, hospitalized, two for heat exhaustion and smoke inhalation and one for a leg injury.  We wish them speedy and complete recoveries. 

The origin of the fire remains unknown, but was almost surely human caused.  The threat of a similar fire remains, with caution, vigilance, and taking steps to protect your home the keys to reducing risk.  Below are recommendations of the National Fire Protection Association. 
Some neighbors in the Avenues hired goats to consume grasses on the slopes below their homes a couple of weeks ago, and I thought that was looking like a really good investment yesterday.  

Although the Ensign Peak Fire is contained, the area is denuded of vegetation and will be prone to erosion and potentially debris flows during precipitation events.  Threats from wildfires continue even after the last ember is extinguished. 

1 comment:

  1. There should be some sort of educational campaign from the moment you land at the airport. I say this because being from a tropical island there is almost no awareness whatsoever of the dangers a cigarette butt out the window, which is obviously wrong for so many reasons, can pose. It could be that a fire is not only human caused but also tourist caused by someone who has no knowledge of the fire hazards imminent to your particular environment. Good luck!

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