The National Fire Protection Association is preparing to celebrate Fire Prevention Week from Oct. 5-11 while fire season continues across Utah and the western U.S.
While there are no active fires near Cedar City, there have been 15 fires in Iron County since Sept. 16, making it one of Utah’s most fire-prone counties. Most have been under an acre, but several have been within or near Cedar City limits.
There have also been three fires in the Cache, Millard and Salt Lake counties as of Sept. 30. The Dragon Bravo fire in Grand Canyon National Park, the biggest of the season so far, started on July 4 and was recently contained after burning over 227 square miles and costing over $124 million in suppression costs.
This year’s Fire Prevention Week aims to draw attention to the danger of human-caused fires. It will be centered around caution about lithium-ion batteries, which are used most commonly in vehicles, toys and consumer electronics.
The NFPA recommends that people should always check lithium-iron batteries for safety certifications and handle and dispose of them properly.
“When buying a product that uses a lithium-ion battery, look for a safety certification mark such as UL, ETL, or CSA,” they say. “This means it meets important safety standards.”
They also urge people to only use manufacturer-approved chargers that aren’t damaged and to avoid overcharging electronics. Lithium-ion batteries and devices that use them should also only be recycled at designated locations and not in a normal trash bin.
Luckily, wildfire prevention and response will be some of the few government programs persisting despite the current federal government shutdown.
To stay up to date on fire information in Utah, visit the Utah Fire Info website. More information on Fire Prevention Week can be found on NFPA’s website.
Author: Payson Davis
Photo: Courtesy of the Salt Lake Tribune
Editor: Briar Adams
outdoors@suunews.net
