SWEETWATER COUNTY — The National Weather Service issued a Fed Flag Warning for much of the day Thursday, signaling an increased fire danger.
The warning will be in effect from noon to 8 p.m. and covers the entirety of Sweetwater County. Portions of Uinta, Carbon, Lincoln and Sublette Counties are also impacted by the warning.
The warning cites increased fire conditions due to low humidity, high temperatures, and dry showers and thunderstorms. Gusty and potentially erratic winds of more than 40 mph may cause turbulent fire behavior.
The National Weather Service reports humidity could go as low as 14 percent while temperatures are expected to be in the high 80s at their highest. Winds will blow to the west between 10 and 20 mph, with gusts of up to 30 mph expected.
“Fire is a tool, not a toy,” Sweetwater County Fire District No. 1 Assistant Fire Chief Jake Ribordy said.
Ribordy said the district firefighters have had a busy summer responding to fires. He said several fires that have recently taken place can be attributed to juveniles playing with fireworks, some of which have caused property damage. While fireworks are always a problem for local firefighters, Ribordy said keeping a fire under control and ensuring it’s properly extinguished when finished with it will keep them from getting out of control.
With fires, Ribordy said they should only be as large as necessary and when using a fire pit, keep the cover on as the fire burns. He said the covers are designed to keep sparks from flying out of the pit and into potentially flammable material.
