Crews are hard at work in Duchesne County creating ‘Safety Zones’ to slow down potential wildfires during this high risk wildfire season. Josh Phillips, manager of Duchesne County Fire and Emergency Management, spoke with KSL newsradio about the need for Safety Zones as a way to get people out of areas in case of wildfire. “A Safety Zone needs to be big enough and large enough to protect those people as it passes through,” explains Phillips. “It’s an escape route, it’s a safety route for them getting out in case there’s a fire. It’s a place for fire units to mobilize and start planning an attack for the fire.” He also emphasized the importance of clearing an area around your home and buildings. “We understand everybody wants their trees and stuff, but maybe they can see this work we are doing and see that it’s not that bad,” shares Phillips. “If they can do this defensible space around their locations and their houses, it’s just going to help. Fire crews that see a home with defensible space will try to save that property during a wildfire because it is safer for them to do so. A home without defensible space is more dangerous to their lives and safety will always come first… The idea is making sure we give people a Safety Zone and a safe way to get out,” concludes Phillips. Crews are working on creating a Safety Zone in the Pinion Ridge area between Fruitland and Duchesne in Duchesne County.
