One person who participated in a survey designed to assess Park City’s readiness for a wildfire was clear in their comments about the topic.
“It is inevitable that park city will burn,” the person said, according to a summary of the written comments that were received in the survey.
The survey was part of a broader City Hall effort regarding the risk of wildfires and was included in a consultant report released in June. The report includes just a small number of the written comments that were collected, alongside the results from a series of survey questions, but the input is nonetheless telling. The survey was conducted in September and October and involved 409 responses.
The particular bluntness of the person who left the comment about the inevitability of a wildfire seems to symbolize the concerns of a segment of the Park City population. There has not been a devastating wildfire inside the Park City limits in the modern era, but there is concern a significant blaze could be ruinous to the tourism-driven economy.
A wildfire that spreads through the mountain resorts, potentially badly damaging or destroying the infrastructure of the ski industry, could endanger the economically crucial winter tourism season. Such a blaze could also threaten residential properties in places like Deer Valley and Old Town. Park City leaders over time are taking a number of steps to guard against the wildfire danger, such as clearing brush that could become fuel for a blaze. They are also continuing an educational campaign describing the threat and measures that residents could take to reduce the risk.
The latest work is underway less than two years after the Parleys Canyon Fire tore through 541 acres off Interstate 80 close to the Summit County-Salt Lake County line. The wildfire forced evacuations from parts of the Snyderville Basin and brought the American Red Cross to Park City High School to open an evacuation center. Park City leaders for decades have understood the danger, but there has seemed to be added urgency in the time since the 2021 Parleys Canyon Fire.
The comments released in the summary highlight the varying degrees of concern about wildfires. Some question whether City Hall should be so heavily involved in the issue while others are focused on Old Town-related topics.
The comments include:
• “We are not a high-risk community at all. Park City has a lot of natural water pathways and reservoirs. Over focus on this is nonsensical and a waste of taxpayer dollars.”
• “Would buses be deployed to evacuate neighborhoods?”
• “Destroying the trees and vegetation is increasing wildfire risk.”
• “I would love a clear ordinance to provide clear, concise guidance to park city residents about what they need to do to protect their homes from wildfires.”
• “I live in Old Town and I am very concerned about access of fire, medical and police resources and egress of residents and visitors during a fire in and around Old Town.”
• “It’s totally not clear to me what old town residents can do for (wildfire) mitigation when we have no land/trees and live within arms-reach of neighbors.”
• “After this study, I would like to know if the City will publish something for residents/visitors as a guide to what residents/visitors need to know in the event of a wildfire and what actions they need to take to evacuate or otherwise seek safety.”
The municipal government on Tuesday evening held a sparsely attended open house at the Marsac Building about wildfire issues. Speakers covered a range of topics, including a connection between wildfires and avalanches. The people in attendance learned there is an increased avalanche danger after a wildfire since the trees can help block snow from sliding. A slide presented on Tuesday indicated fire stations, law enforcement facilities and medical facilities are located in low-risk areas.
The event was held shortly before Independence Day and then Pioneer Day later in July. Both holidays are celebrated with fireworks, and the stretch between the two dates is usually of special concern to firefighting agencies and emergency planners. The Utah Department of Natural Resources in the middle of the week indicated the wildfire risk in the Park City area and in the communities on the East Side was low.
City Hall has posted information about wildfire issues on the municipal public-engagement website, engageparkcity.org. The direct link to the wildfire information is: engageparkcity.org/cwra.