Fire season outlook

It seems early but fire officials are already gearing up for what could be a dangerous fire season.

Last year’s fire season was catastrophic for many areas.

Damage from the Roosevelt fire in the Bridger-Teton National Forest last fall cost close to 26 million dollars.

This year’s wet winter and spring might make you think that this fire season won’t be as bad, but according to Lori Bell District Ranger for the National Forest Service that’s not necessarily the case.

“We could get a lot of moisture in the spring that causes all the grasses to grow and green up. Then if we got no more rain and we get really hot temperatures or windy conditions in the summer we could be in a high fire danger season really quickly.”

Fire officials say it’s essential to create a 100-foot defensible space around your home to improve your home’s chances of surviving a wildfire.

Remove all dead plants, grasses and weeds around your home. Remove dry leaves and other debris from rain gutters. Trim your trees and keep branches 10 feet from other trees and from your home. Relocate wood piles away from your home and move flammable things from around your decks.

Fire officials say the steps we take now could make all the difference in a wildfire.