SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Division of Forestry, Fire & State Lands, awarded three individuals at its annual Fall Fire Management Meeting. The awards are given to individuals and organizations who stood out this year in the areas of wildfire prevention, mitigation and interagency collaboration.
Three awards were given out at this year’s meeting, and they included Travis Hobbs as the Warden of the Year, Parker Hanson from Draper City Fire was awarded the Wildland-Urban Interface Award and the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office as the Utah Cooperator of the Year.
Warden of the Year – Travis Hobbs, Forestry, Fire and State Lands
Travis Hobbs was recognized by his colleagues as the Warden of the Year for his service and dedication to the people of Rich County.
As the Rich County Fire Warden, Hobbs was a driving force who helped his volunteer fire departments gain the training and support they needed to respond to wildfires effectively and safely. Travis used his leadership in the county to build partnerships between state and local fire departments, which helped build firefighting capacity in his county.
“Travis represents the best of FFSL’s warden program,” said Dustin Richards, Bear River Area Fire Management Officer for Utah Forestry, Fire and State Lands. “His ability to lead, train, and connect communities with the tools they need to succeed makes him an invaluable asset to Utah’s wildland fire program.”
Hobbs has also played a key role this year, assisting other programs within the division and the sovereign lands and forestry programs with project work.
Cooperator of the Year – Sevier County Sheriff’s Office
The Sevier County Sheriff’s Office was recognized as the 2025 Cooperator of the Year for their work and leadership during the Monroe Canyon Fire that impacted their county this summer.
“The Monroe Canyon Fire demanded exceptional coordination, and the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office rose to the occasion,” said Thomas Peterson, Central Area Manager for the Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands. “Their commitment to safety and cooperation represents the best of what Utah’s wildfire community stands for.”
The Monroe Canyon Fire burned more than 74,000 acres across Sevier and Piute Counties. The fire required the coordination of multiple local, state and federal agencies to protect the surrounding communities and over 250 threatened structures during the wildfire event. Throughout the wildfire, Sheriff Nate Curtis and Emergency Manager Bill Taufer demonstrated an unwavering commitment to public safety.
Curtis and Taufer represented the Sheriff’s Office and the county during evacuations and closures to ensure safety for both firefighters and residents. The Sevier County Sheriff’s Office demonstrated professionalism during one of the state’s major wildfire incidents of 2025.
Wildland-Urban Interface Award – Parker Hanson, Draper City Fire Department
Parker Hanson was the recipient of the 2025 Wildland-Urban Interface Award.
Hanson is the Draper City Fire Department’s lead fuels crew member in the department’s newly formed Wildland Division. During 2025, Hanson played a key role in several fuel mitigation projects on Traverse Mountain. These projects complement the work FFSL has been conducting as a part of the Corner Canyon Project by developing fire and shaded fuel breaks. These initiatives have strengthened the resilience of the landscapes and improved the safety for residents living in the wildland-urban interface.
“Parker is a go-getter who is making real progress where it matters most,” said Michael Swinsick, WUI Specialist for the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands’ Wasatch Front Area. “His leadership demonstrates what effective collaboration can achieve. We are proud to present him with this prestigious award and hope his momentum inspires similar efforts across the state.”
Through his collaboration with multiple city agencies and Forestry, Fire and State Lands, Hanson has demonstrated how on-the-ground action can achieve meaningful progress in wildfire preparedness for a community.