Wildfire season was milder than expected this year
State and federal firefighters feared that 2023 would be a bad wildfire year due to Utah’s record precipitation this spring. Officials believed that the abundant vegetation would dry out in the summer and ultimately lead to increased wildfire risk. On the contrary, Utah experienced one of the mildest wildfire seasons in state history.
According to the Utah Wildfire Dashboard, there was a 30% decrease in total acreage burned compared to 2022. This is due in part to continued moisture through the summer, but the most significant change is in the number of human-caused wildfires. In 2020, 78% of wildfires were caused by human activity, while in 2023 this percentage was down to 41%.
Utah fire management officials say Utahns’ responsible recreation helped reduce the impact of wildfires this year.
Liquor licenses were approved for several new bars and restaurants
Today, the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services’ commission approved new liquor licenses for two new bars – 2 Row Brewing in Midvale and Last Call Sports Bar & Grill in Springville.
Five restaurants across the state also received liquor licenses, including Canyon Steak and Waffle in Moab and 11Hauz in Park City. Several more restaurants in the Salt Lake area received conditional liquor licenses but are not yet ready to open.
A Logan restaurant, Kabuki Steakhouse & Sushi Bar, was rebuked following several violations involving selling alcohol to minors.
