Upper Bear Valley evacuated as precaution due to Brian Head Fire


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PANGUITCH — A Type 1 Incident Management Team was called in to assist crews already fighting the Brian Head Fire Monday, just as more evacuations were ordered in the morning for the wildfire burning in southern Utah.

The Type 1 team will battle the east side of the fire working out of Panguitch and the Type 2 will battle the west side working out of Parowan, said Jesse Bender, public information officer for the Great Basin Type 2 Incident Management Team.

Tuesday morning update
  • 49,626 acres burned
  • Smoke visible along Wasatch Front

"The two teams are working very closely to coordinate the suppression and the logistics of this operation," she said, at a press conference in Brian Head. "We're having daily conference calls to ensure that all operations are carried out in a safe and effective manner and that we're making the best use of all of those resources together."

That announcement came after residents of Upper Bear Valley were evacuated as forecasted winds were projected to move the Brian Head Fire toward the area northwest of Panguitch.

The Brian Head Fire, which was sparked by a weed torch on June 17, has now grown to more than 43,400 acres in size and has only been 10 percent contained, according to the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands.

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With red flag warning conditions and strong southwest winds returning to southern Utah, officials are concerned for more growth Monday.

"These conditions are very similar to what we had last week when the fire made multiple consecutive day runs," Bender said. "With that in mind, we're absolutely heads-up today and aware of the potential this fire has."

While there are concerns that the conditions will help fuel the fire, Bender said progress was made over the weekend to potentially slow down the wildfire.

She said a bulldozer was brought in to make lines just north of the fire with the hope that once the fire reaches those lines it won't have fuel to continue. She said fire retardant was placed on the other side of the line.

Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox and senior officials in Gov. Gary Herbert's office visited places damaged by wildfire Monday. He urged residents to use caution with anything that may spark a fire, especially in dry vegetation areas.

Cox said officials are looking into extending fire restrictions across the state. There are currently fire restrictions in unincorporated areas across southwestern Utah and the Wasatch Front.

"We want to remind citizens to please, please, please be careful," he said. "In a year that we had a large snowpack, in a year that we've had a lot of water, the reservoirs are filled, we don't think about fires. We usually think about that in dryer times. It's been a dry month and we had at least four — maybe five fires — on Saturday alone, and they're all human-caused."

Cox added the state will continue to meet with municipalities and county officials regarding the possibility of further fire restrictions.

In addition to the new evacuation Monday, Panguitch Lake, Horse Valley, Beaver Dam, Castle Valley, Blue Springs, Rainbow Meadows, Mammoth Creek, Dry Lakes, Second Left Hand Canyon and Brian Head remain evacuated per local law enforcement, officials said.

Highway 143 is also closed from the cemetery in Parowan to an area just south of Panguitch and Mammoth Creek Road is also closed at the junction with the highway. The Dixie National Forest also has closed all forest lands north of Highway 14.

The fire has destroyed 13 homes and eight outbuildings as of Monday. The Red Cross has offered shelter for those displaced by the Brian Head Fire. A shelter and service delivery remains open at Panguitch High School (390 E. 100 South) in Panguitch from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

More than 1,100 personnel are fighting the fire, officials said. It includes nearly 50 engines, 36 crews and 14 helicopters.

During Monday's press conference, Utah Sen. Evan Vickers, R-Cedar City, whose district covers Brian Head, gave thanks to those fighting the wildfire. Vickers' son is among the firefighters battling the Brian Head Fire.

"I hope that you recognize the sacrifice and the expertise that these firefighters bring," Vickers said. "People are out in the field, they're out on the lines, they're protecting us and the heroic efforts they're putting forth not only not my property and everyone else's property, but the beauty and the landscapes that we have."

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Carter Williams

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