Despite both fires being believed to be human-caused, officials say the incidents indicate that current conditions are ripe for wildfires — even though spring has yet to formally arrive.

“It just shows that fuel moisture is low out there, and that if the conditions are right, any wildfire can grow into a multiacre wildfire,” said Karl Hunt, a spokesman for the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands.

Hunt said the state’s low snowpack, drought, and warm temperatures all play a role in these incidents. He warned that grasses that usually die during the winter have not, due to the low snowpack, resulting in carryover fuel that, coupled with new grass growth, increases fire risk.

Hunt said fire agencies at the state, local, and federal levels are hyperaware of the situation, and the state is working with the Great Basin Coordination Center’s predictive services team to understand what the weather will do in the coming months.

“(We’ll see) if we’re going to get some storms that will come through that will give us some precipitation or not,” he said. “But really, those dry fuels, mixed with high wind, can significantly impact the fire risk that we see.”

The Spanish Fork Fire Department, which has yet to find a definitive answer as to who or what started last week’s blaze in the Legacy Farms area, remains on high alert for additional incidents, spokesman Jack Urquhart said.

“We’re super worried about it, for sure,” Urquhart said. “To be frank, we feel like we’re going to be really busy.”

Areas most vulnerable to wildfires are those with “light, flashy fuels,” such as grass and shrubbery, Hunt said. He added that these are often the areas where people recreate. His advice is to be careful, because the majority of wildfires in Utah are human-caused.

“Extinguish our campfires,” Hunt said. “Roadside starts — Make sure your vehicles are maintained. If you’re towing, do so with the proper vehicle. Don’t drag your trailer chains. At target shooting, have a clear backstop. That can really go a long way in limiting our impact on those fire starts and in helping our firefighters.”

Urquhart added that parents need to talk to their children about the seriousness of fire danger, and that kids should not go into the woods or mountains with fireworks or lighters.

“We see stuff like that all the time turn into something uncontrollable,” he said.

Urquhart also encouraged residents to call 911 if they see smoke or flames and not assume it’s already been reported because of the importance of every second.

“Something that happens is farmers or kids out in the field may start a fire accidentally and feel like they’ve got it under control,” he said. “They can try to fight it, and then it gets out of control. If they haven’t called the fire department yet, they haven’t called 911, and suddenly we’ve got a huge problem on our hands.”