ST. GEORGE — A fire weather warning has been issued by the National Weather Service in Salt Lake City for Thursday and Friday.
The warning applies to Washington, Iron, Kane, Garfield and Beaver counties and is in effect from 2 p.m. Thursday through 9 p.m. Friday.
South winds of 10-20 mph with gusts of up to 30 mph are expected Thursday afternoon, and south winds will likely increase to 20-25 mph with gusts of 35 mph on Friday.
The relative humidity is expected to be between 8-10% Thursday and between 10-15% Friday. There will likely be poor overnight recovery Thursday.
Critical fire weather conditions are expected, and any fires that start may spread rapidly, according to NWS.
Precautions and preparedness
If you are traveling or planning to recreate using ATVs or similar vehicles, take the following precautions to avoid starting a wildfire:
- Avoid driving or parking your vehicle in tall grass.
- Never throw a lighted cigarette out of a vehicle.
- When pulling a trailer, attach safety chains securely; loose chains can drag on the pavement and cause sparks, igniting roadside fires.
- Look behind you before driving away from fire-sensitive locations such as areas with tall grass or campsites to check for signs of a developing fire.
- Always use a spark arrester on internal combustion engines.
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