After Utah's wet winter, grass, brush, and weeds grew thick in the spring. Now that the hot, dry summer season is here, there is a high risk of wildfires.

“We are not talking about federal areas, natural forest areas or anything like that. We are talking about urban residential areas. [is],” said Kelly Bird, spokeswoman for the United Fire Authority.

The agency is the largest in Utah, covering 15 communities and all of Salt Lake County. Bird said they have worked hard to eliminate “potential fuels that would increase fire risk.”

They are also reaching out to people in the high-risk communities in the Foothills and Herriman, encouraging them to “form a secure ring around their home so that they have a barrier in case a fire does indeed spread.”

In an emergency, the fire department works with municipal emergency coordinators like David Ulibarri in Eagle Mountain. He has lived in the area for 18 years and says the increased risk is largely due to new construction in areas that already have a high wildfire risk.

When he moved in, there were “about 8,000 people” living there. Now there are nearly 57,000, “and it's not going to stop anytime soon.” He said that only increases “the wildfire risk because we have more homes in areas where we don't [have] the year before.”

Ulibarri makes sure residents are prepared for an emergency, including making sure people are prepared to evacuate in the event of a wildfire.

He said an evacuation was “the last thing we ever want to do because it's a lot of work and it can be a nightmare. But if we do it, it's for a good reason.”

And there are many reasons why an evacuation might be necessary.

“It's not always because we're worried your house will catch fire. Often it's about air quality and visibility, more than anything else.”

In May, Ulibarri worked with local Eagle Scout Emma McWethy To distribute instructions on how to put together an emergency bag that will be ready in the event of a forest fire.

The Orem Fire Department has also conducted a survey to determine the fire risk for homes in the area. Deputy Chief Shaun Hirst said this will help them find older homes with roofing shingles such as wood shingles.

“They're very vulnerable at this point if they've been on the roof for so long. They can very easily go off with these aerial fireworks that we've allowed in Utah.”

They are also working on remediation efforts in the area around Utah Lake.

Many invasive species, such as reeds, not only damage native plants but also catch fire “really, really hot and fast.” To prevent this, Orem firefighters have been removing excess vegetation in some areas.

The state has already seen wildfires this year, but Hirst said the peak of the fire season will not be until August or September, when the state's dry season is at its peak.