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Firefighters go door-to-door with safety and prevention tips

Posted at 9:43 PM, May 07, 2016
and last updated 2016-05-07 23:43:47-04

HERRIMAN, Utah --- Firefighters in Utah are doing their part to reduce the chances of wildfires breaking out in the Beehive State.

Ryan Hiener and other members of the Unified Fire Authority went door-to-door Saturday to teach residents about preparedness and safety.

“We’re just going and providing information in the event that there is a fire or an incident,” Hiener said.

Firefighters encouraged residents to trim back trees and bushes, and to figure out an evacuation plan.

“I think this is a great drill to have,” resident Stephen Peters said. “We are such a high hazard for fire, there’s nothing but fuel everywhere around here.”

As part of the effort, Peters learned what do with his horses in the event of a fire. This area of Herriman has faced fires before, and he said he will be ready if it happens again.

“We know now that we can get our horses down here to the safe zone and out of harm’s way,” he said.

Capt. Chet Ellis, UFA, said preparation is critically important.

“It’s really just to reach out to as many people as we possibly can, to have them be prepared for the next one, because it will happen again," Ellis said.

Ellis said these are all things that most people don’t think about until it’s too late and they're out of time. He said they hope their prevention efforts now will lead to fewer calls during the summer, when fires are most likely to occur.