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Show 1981 fires severe in region CEDAR CITY The 1981 fire season for the Intermountain Region of the Forest Service was one of the worst in recent years, according to Doug Bird, regional director of Aviation and Fire Management. From June through October, more than 112,000 acres were burned in National Forests in Utah, southern Idaho, Nevada and western Wyoming. Several communities, water systems and communication com-munication sites were threatened. Severe fire weather conditions combined with heavy grass growth and a large amount of dry lightning contributed to the unusual amount of fire activity. Control efforts on major fires required 8,500 firefighters, 42 air-tankers, air-tankers, 53 helicopters and 182 fire engines, said Bird. "Forest Service firefighters had an excellent ex-cellent safety record this year," Bird said. "There were no major injuries or aircraft accidents during the entire fire season." National Forests in southern Idaho had 369 lightning-caused and 161 man-caused fires, with a total burned area of 23,668 acres. In Utah, 298 lightning-caused lightning-caused and 108 man-caused man-caused fires burned 67,445 acres. The Bridger-Teton National Forest in western Wyoming had 87 lightning-caused and 68 man-caused fires, with 173 acres burned. National Forests in Nevada had 110 lightning-caused lightning-caused and 46 man-caused man-caused fires, with a total burned area of 21,537 acres. |