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Crews prepare for wildfire season as weather gets hot, dry

Posted at 8:59 PM, May 02, 2014
and last updated 2014-05-02 22:59:45-04

SALT LAKE CITY – Fire crews are preparing and training for wildfire season as the weather heats up and dries out in Utah.

A fire weather watch has been put in place for this weekend; it focuses on southwest Utah, but hot, dry and windy conditions are anticipated in many parts of the state.

Fire crews said, despite the conditions, they don’t expect wildfires. However, they did say they are prepared.

“Quite a bit of training that the employees go through as well as specialized equipment so that when we come into a neighborhood we are prepared to be able to defend those homes and structures,” said Jeremy Robertson, president of Salt Lake County Professional Fire Fighters.

This week is when the National Weather Service began monitoring fire conditions in Utah, which is a sort of unofficial kick off to the wildfire season.