On Thursday, June 19, a fire erupted in Mt. Pleasant on the southwest side of town. Quick response by firefighters from Mt. Pleasant, Spring City and Fairview as well as the Sanpete County fire warden certainly saved several homes from disaster.

Whipped by ferocious winds, heavy black smoke could be seen for some time as it blew across 500 West towards homes and businesses across town. Fifth West was closed to traffic for a while as fire apparatus converged on the scene from all directions. As of Saturday, June 21, the burn site was still being monitored by firefighters to catch any flare-ups that might occur.

Max Lewis, the Sanpete County fire warden, was the incident commander on the fire. He issued a reminder to the residents of Sanpete County that red flag warnings are to be taken seriously. Low RH and high winds are a recipe for disaster. Vigilance is our best defense for fire.

Burn restrictions are in effect for the entire area until Oct. 31. Residents are required to have a burn permit from the fire warden’s office if they plan to burn anything. Citations can be issued to offenders.

Warden Lewis advises the community to check Utah’s webpage at utahfireinfo.gov for current information on fire danger, prevention, news and most importantly, fire restrictions. A link on the site redirects you to X for further information.

The community of Mt. Pleasant was lucky this time. What could have been a disaster is now the talk of the town. Mt. Pleasant City’s Mayor Mike Olsen commented that “we don’t need this type of excitement.”

Currently the entire state of Utah is under a ban for fireworks. Exploding targets for target shooting are banned from all BLM and Forest Service lands. Campers are urged to “be mindful of what you’re doing and always be prepared to put out a fire” Currently fire restrictions for campfires vary by area, so check your campground’s restrictions beforehand and be sure to thoroughly douse your campfire.

Fire prevention is everyone’s responsibility. The dry winter and spring have left us very venerable to wildfires. Do your part, be aware and don’t forget to teach your kids about fire prevention as well.