Salt Lake City Fire Chief warns of moderate wildfire risk, outlines preparedness steps

Salt Lake City Fire Chief Lieb told the council on April 1 that the city faces a moderate wildland-fire risk and urged residents to prepare and Harden defensible space around homes.

Chief Lieb said Salt Lake City has the personnel, equipment and training to respond, but cautioned that ‘‘we do have risk here in Salt Lake. Absolutely.’’ He listed fire department capabilities — brush trucks, water tenders, red-card–certified wildland crews and annual wildland‑urban interface training — and emphasized rapid arrival of water and personnel as key to stopping spread.

The nut of the briefing: the department can respond quickly but city residents must be ready. Chief Lieb and staff highlighted the department’s Ready‑Set‑Go public education program and offered defensible‑space property assessments. ‘‘Ready, set, go means be ready for a wildland fire. Be be prepared. Have a plan,’’ Lieb said, urging people to prioritize evacuation plans over staying to defend homes.

Council members pressed the chief on holiday periods and staffing. Councilmember Dugan asked about firework periods in July; Lieb said the department will add roaming crews for holidays and peak days and make firefighters highly visible in high‑risk neighborhoods to deter illegal fireworks. Councilmember Young and others described education sessions (including school outreach) and urged the department to provide printed materials council members can distribute.

Chief Lieb identified City Creek Canyon and adjacent neighborhoods (East Capitol, Northmont Way) as among the highest local wildfire risks and cited other high‑risk areas in District 6 (State Park, Corrigan Canyon) and on the West Side where dry grasses and scrub present hazardous fuels. He described a new wildland‑urban interface coordinator position the department has filled from operations to improve training and mitigation efforts.

On policy, Lieb told the council the state Legislature is moving on measures that will affect construction and defensible‑space standards. He specifically referenced House Bill 48 as encouraging adoption of a wildland‑urban interface code that would affect building materials and vegetation management near homes.

Council members thanked the department for preparedness work and asked for follow‑up materials and neighborhood‑specific outreach before July and other high‑risk periods. Chief Lieb recommended residents use IPAWS and BeReadyUtah resources and contact the fire department for on‑site defensible‑space assessments.

Looking ahead, the department will expand Ready‑Set‑Go outreach and continue wildfire training and mutual‑aid agreements; the council asked for materials and district‑level guidance to share with constituents.

Ending: The chief concluded the briefing by urging individual preparedness and noting that, while the city is better prepared than in past years, ‘‘under the right circumstances … we could lose some structures in Salt Lake,’’ meaning resident readiness is an essential complement to fire department response.