The Stewart Lake Fire this week in Jensen is an example of what is reported as Utah’s most common type of human caused wildfire. On Monday, fire spread rapidly through extreme dry vegetation caused by equipment overheating and failure. Crews had to work fast as the initial blaze threatened structures and the swampy terrain on the west side hindered fire crews. Crews from multiple agencies worked together and 292 total acres burned before being contained. This is just one of many examples of human caused fires in the state of Utah and matches the UtahFireInfo.gov list of top types of human caused fires. In 2021 so far, fireworks caused 14 wildfire incidents, firearms caused 15 incidents, campfires caused 36 incidents, debris burning caused 98 incidents, and vehicles or equipment caused 184 incidents as was the case in the Stewart Lake Fire. All are reminded to make safety a top priority to prevent human-caused wildfires.
