Record heat has hit the west with areas of Nevada hitting 118 degrees and the Basin is feeling the heat as well. The unseasonable high temperatures are due to a strong high pressure over the region, shares National Weather Service meteorologist Jim Pringle. The high center of it is over New Mexico but even southern Utah is hitting temperatures of 112 in the St. George area. The higher temperatures also increase the need for increased fire safety. “In the lower elevations the vegetation is very dry according to fuel specialists of the Forest Service and BLM,” shares Pringle. “It won’t take much to ignite a wildfire. If we had significant winds a fire would take off rapidly.” Fortunately, no high winds are anticipated in the coming days, a fact that Pringle says is a saving grace given the current conditions. “All it would take is a little fire and outflow from a thunderstorm to send a little fire moving,” says Pringle, “to become a significantly larger fire.” All citizens are urged to use extreme caution to reduce any potential for fire.
