The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah fire officials are attributing this year’s “staggering” spike in human-caused wildfire to the coronavirus pandemic, which has pushed summer recreation into the outdoors.
Because so many recreational opportunities — from community swimming pools to music festivals — are unavailable or restricted, record numbers of people are enjoying Utah’s open spaces and that’s led to increase in fire starts, according to Utah State Forester Brian Cottam.
“We know it’s a problem. We’re focused on it and trying to find the right solutions to it,” Cottam recently told a legislative committee. “Of all of our fires this year, all jurisdictions statewide, 75% are human caused.”