Firefighters lit the hillside above the Summit County Public Shooting Range ablaze Wednesday, April 24, in a type of controlled burn operation not conducted in the county in decades. More than one wildfire has sparked.
Photo from Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons
On Wednesday, May 26, Summit County hosted a virtual town hall that focused on wildfire management practices.
“We know that wildfire is top of mind,” Summit County Commissioner Elisabeth Lawrence said. “It certainly is for us at the county, and I assure you it is for all of our local agencies, as well. Just in terms of the historic drought we’re dealing with, the super dry soil, it’s more than just a drought at this point. It’s only springtime, and we’re in drought conditions already.”
During the town hall, experts from the U.S. Forest Service, local fire districts, Summit County and other agencies gave insights about what their departments are doing to mitigate the risk of wildfires in the area.