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Summit County fire danger moves from moderate to low as rain soaks wildfire fuels

Rain bands stream down onto Buffalo Mountain as the sun prepares to set on July 22, 2022, around 8:15 p.m. Monsoonal rains like these are keeping fire restrictions at bay for another week as fire risk remains moderate thanks to moisture levels.
Andrew Maciejewski/Summit Daily News archive

Summit County’s fire danger is low, Red, White & Blue Fire Protection District deputy chief Jay Nelson reported Tuesday, Aug. 16. The county still has no fire restrictions for the 10th week in a row, Summit County Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons reported Tuesday.

Recent rains, the increased humidity and fuel moisture levels contributed to the change from moderate, he said. Long periods of rain can soak through larger wildfire fuels like downed trunks that otherwise remain dry through short spurts of rain.

The county has experienced one of its rainiest years in recent memory, with July being the wettest month of 2022 so far. This summer’s climate has been reminding locals of years long ago


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