This summer, numerous wildfires have filled Utah County with smoky skies and burnt trees. The air has turned into a light fog filled with ash and smoke, and our backyards have begun to smell like a barbecue.

This isn’t the first time you have seen these topics appear in Utah news articles this year. Wildfires have been burning non stop along the western part of the United States.

According to a US News article on wildfires, “The costs to fight wildfires are increasing by about $1 million a day…” This money isn’t going to come rising from the ashes. It will be coming from taxes. What can we do to lower these prices and save the western United States from burning up? Well, preventing wildfires can be done by you. Kara Myntti, a student from Bingham High School who goes camping frequently, gave me some tips: avoid creating a fire in windy weather, always keep a shovel nearby to put it out, watch for any runaway flames, and make sure that there are rocks around the fire. These are just a few ways you can help while lighting a fire.

Although some fires are started by lightning and other natural disasters, ninety percent of them are man made, according to an AerIndustries blog. The natural ways a wildfire can start are burning brush, lightning, and lava.

One way to make sure your next family camping trip or boy scout retreat is safe and memorable is to remember what Smokey the Bear says: “Only you can prevent wildfires.”