Utahns' Low Concern About Wildfire Does Not Align With Growing Risk to Communities Statewide

According to a national 2022 study published in the New York Times, the state of Utah bears the highest risk of property damage due to to wildfires when measured as a share of all properties.1 These findings, coupled with Utah’s rapid population growth and accompanying residential development in fire-prone environments, present a pressing emergency preparedness challenge for federal, state and local officials. Utahns who live in the St. George metro area, which includes Dameron Valley and Washington County, face the highest possibility of harm across the state.2 On July 31st, 2025, Governor Cox declared a thirty-day state of emergency in response to the large number of wildfires burning in the state.3 Among the summer’s most prominent fires were the Deer Creek Fire, which destroyed 13 structures (including primary and secondary homes) and required the evacuation of 250 residents4, and the Monroe Canyon Fire, which destroyed four structures and required evacuations and power shutdowns across several counties in central Utah.5