Washington • Federal officials said Thursday they’re preparing for the coming wildfire season while stressing that many parts of the country — including big swaths of Utah — are susceptible to “significant” blazes this summer.
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and Agriculture Department Secretary Sonny Perdue, who oversees the Forest Service, signed an annual agreement Thursday to cooperate in combating fires that break out this year. For the first time, the agreement allows the Forest Service to use unmanned aerial technology to help extinguish fires from the air. The Interior Department has used drones previously.
A forecast by the two federal departments indicates significant threat of fires in southeastern Utah this month, a threat that extends to most of the state in June and remains for northern Utah in July and August.