Fire danger is high now

Scott Kitchner, fire chief at Sweetwater County Fire District No. 1, hopes the upcoming July 4th holiday isn’t like last year.

For firefighters throughout the county, the day was filled with fire calls, with fire crews ultimately responding to 17 calls in the 24-hour period.

“We don’t want a repeat of last year,” he said.

However, despite recent storms, Kitchner said the fire season seems to be starting earlier than usual, saying fire fuels are plentiful.

High winds, coupled with the summer heat, have resulted in grasses getting dried out. Those grasses, as well as dead foliage fr...