Hundreds of homes evacuated as Dollar Ridge Fire reaches 30K acres

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SALT LAKE CITY — Hundreds of homes and cabins in Duchesne County are under a mandatory evacuation order as the Dollar Ridge wildfire grew to 30,000 acres, fire officials say.

There are also seven other active wildfires burning throughout Utah, with most located in the central and southwestern part of the state, according to BLM officials. You'll find the latest updates on the wildfires below.

This story will be updated throughout the day.

Tuesday, 06:15am

Firefighters face dry conditions and expect wind gusts up to 35 mph on Tuesday. The Dollar Ridge Fire remains zero percent contained and has burned 30,000 acres. Up to 300 homes and cabins have been evacuated. Fire officials believe some structures may have burned overnight but they're not sure. "We're not even able to get crews on the ground near the fire," said Jason Curry, public information officer with the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands. Fire officials expect to provide an update around 8 a.m. Tuesday.

An ominous sky this morning in Fruitland. Officials expect another windy, hot, and dry day...terrible conditions to fight a wildfire. #DollarRidgeFire #KSLAM Stay with @KSL5TV for the latest updates. pic.twitter.com/5i9fO6YJkM
— Caitlin Burchill (@newsyCaitlin) July 3, 2018

.@Derek_Photog just got a text alert: "mandatory fire evacuation for Pinyon Ridge west of Lower Red Creek Road/Go to Duchesne HS." #DollarRidgeFire
— Caitlin Burchill (@newsyCaitlin) July 3, 2018

— Contributing: Caitlin Burchill, KSL TV

Monday, 10:36pm

Duchesne County evacuation orders to remain through the night; other Utah wildfires continue to burn

The Dollar Ridge Fire grew Monday to roughly five times the size it was just a day before, thanks in part to some very strong winds. And more is coming: Gusts are expected to reach 35 mph in the area on Tuesday. At latest count, the wildfire is estimated to have burned 30,000 acres. Hundreds of homes are still under a mandatory evacuation order, an unknown number of structures have burned, and fire officials say more evacuations aren't out of the question.

We are concerned about those
who are negatively impacted and are very grateful to those who are fighting these fires. Please remember all impacted in your prayers.
— Gov. Gary Herbert (@GovHerbert) July 3, 2018

Late Monday night, the Duchesne County Sheriff's Office said the shelter at the LDS Church in Fruitland was full. Authorities are directing any additional evacuees to Duchesne High School. Animals can be taken to the Duchesne County Fairgrounds. The fire had zero containment Monday evening. Jason Curry, public information officer with the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, said 92 percent of Utah's fires this year have been human-caused and "preventable." Citing "extreme fire danger conditions and increased human-caused wildfires," interagency fire managers implemented advanced fire restrictions for five counties in southern Utah. Among other fires still burning in Utah Monday: • The West Valley Fire in Washington County's Pine Valley has burned 10,500 acres and was 5 percent contained. Utah fire officials said the blaze was caused by a campfire left unattended. More than 500 firefighters were working on the fire Monday, according to officials. • The Willow Patch Fire has burned about 4,700 acres and was 55 percent contained. Officials believe it was also human-caused. • The Black Mountain Fire, caused by a vehicle accident last week, was 90 percent contained at about 6,000 acres. -Andrew Adams, KSL TV and Ashley Imlay, KSL

Monday, 09:08pm

FEMA to help cover cost of fighting Dollar Ridge Fire

The U.S. government has authorized the use of federal funds to help cover costs associated with fighting the Dollar Ridge Fire in Wasatch and Duchesne counties, according to a prepared statement from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Agency (FEMA). The statement says, “FEMA Regional VIII Acting Administrator Nancy Dragani approved the state’s request for a federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) after receiving the state’s request Monday afternoon.” While the authorization makes federal money available to cover 75 percent of the firefighting costs associated with this wildfire, it does not provide any funding for losses incurred by individual home or business owners, the statement says.

Fire Management Assistance
approved for #DollarRidgeFire in UT. @FEMA
provides funds to support firefighting efforts. Learn more: https://t.co/nHVSWFbGRG … pic.twitter.com/9m6ht13uXb
— FEMA Region 8 (@femaregion8) July 3, 2018

Monday, 07:01pm

Dollar Ridge Fire grows to 30K acres

The latest numbers from fire officials show the Dollar Ridge Fire had burned 30,000 acres by Monday evening, according to KSL's Andrew Adams, who is reporting from Duchesne County where the fire is burning.

Firefighters: #DollarRidgeFire now at 30,000 acres; 200 to 300 home evacuated; homes/cabins have bee lost but no estimate on total @KSL5TV #KSLLive #Utah pic.twitter.com/uFj3cac7jy
— Andrew Adams (@AndrewAdamsKSL) July 3, 2018

He said fire officials have evacuated an estimated 200 to 300 homes; and while some structures have burned, officials don't yet know how many. Evacuees can seek shelter at the LDS Church building at 46130 W. U.S. Highway 40 in Fruitland or at Duchesne High School, 155 W. Main St. in Duchesne.

Monday, 06:18pm

Dollar Ridge Fire moving fast, burns through 4 canyons in 24 hours

Within the last few hours, the Duchesne and Wasatch county sheriffs have been evacuating all of the properties in between Fruitland and the area where the Dollar Ridge Fire is burning, southeast of Strawberry Reservoir. The wind continues to fan the flames through heavy timber — trees crowning with massive flames. The fire was measured at 6,600 acres last night but is much larger now, with no updated measurement. "It has moved so quickly. There's so much smoke blowing across the black area," said Jason Curry, public information officer with Utah Department of Forestry. "We really don't know what the size it is right now." More resources, including a type two management team, are on the way Monday night. Firefighters are making very little progress on this fire that is 0 percent contained. Doug Adams, who has a cabin nearby, said he's been amazed at how the fire has spread across four canyons in the last 24 hours. He knows if the wind shifts the fire could destroy his home. "It wasn't a small fire. It was huge," Adams said. "It just exploded again to where you could see the massive fire that's going on right now. It has skipped four canyons so far." As of 6 p.m., the flames are not bearing down on any particular cabin community and evacuations are very fluid. People who live in this area should follow the latest updates on the fire at the Duchesne County Sheriff's Office Twitter account or Facebook page. -Jed Boal, KSL TV

Monday, 05:09pm

Residents living near Pinion Ridge ordered to evacuate immediately

Residents of the Pinion Ridge area in Duchesne County were ordered to begin evacuating at about 4:40 p.m. Monday, according to a tweet from the Duchesne County Sheriff's Office, as the Dollar Ridge Fire burned closer to their homes.

ALERT: Pinion Ridge residents should begin evacuating at this time, per Duchesne County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Travis Tucker. #DollarRidgeFire @UtahWildfire
— DuchesneCoSheriff (@DuchesneSheriff) July 2, 2018

The evacuation area covers "approximately mile marker 61 to mile marker 74 on the south side of US-40," the sheriff's office tweeted, or about 46000 West in Fruitland to 33910 West in Strawberry. The alert came less than an hour after officials at Utah Fire Info said homes in the Currant Creek were being "directly impacted" by the wildfire. The fire, which sparked Sunday afternoon in the area southeast of Strawberry Reservior, had burned 6,600 acres by Sunday night, officials said. Updated acreage for Monday has not yet been made available. Residents of several homes and cabins were ordered to evacuate early Monday afternoon. Later in the day, Utah Fire Info tweeted new information for evacuees, saying they can go to the LDS Church in Fruitland for help.

Evacuated persons can go to the Fruitland LDS church where @RedCrossUtahNV is setting up a shelter site
— Utah Fire Info (@UtahWildfire) July 2, 2018

Monday, 03:38pm

Brush fire burns 1/4 acres at Provo golf course

Provo Fire officials said a small brush fire at the southeast end of Eastbay Golf Course is out after it burned about 1/4 acre Monday afternoon. Provo, Springville and Utah County Fire officials responded to the fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation, but officials said it may have been caused by some sort of power line malfunction.

Monday, 01:00pm

Mandatory evacuation ordered for Camelot Resort (near Fruitland, Duchesne County)

New evacuations have been ordered due to a fire continuing to grow near Strawberry Reservoir, Bureau of Land Management said Monday afternoon. Officials said a mandatory evacuation has been issued for Camelot Resort and cabins along the Strawberry Gorge. That location was previously listed as a "pre-evacuation" area.

Due to long range spot fires from the #DollarRidgeFire, additional evacuations have been ordered. Camelot Resort and cabins down river along the Strawberry Gorge are under mandatory evacuations.
— Utah Fire Info (@UtahWildfire) July 2, 2018

Duchesne County officials listed evacuations orders for the area south of Fruitland beginning at the Wasatch and Duchesne county lines heading eastward. They also tweeted a map of the evacuation area.

URGENT: Duchesne County Commission issues new EVACUATION ORDER due to #DollarRidgeFire pic.twitter.com/xge9H5FIVe
— DuchesneCoSheriff (@DuchesneSheriff) July 2, 2018

Officials added any violations of the orders are punishable up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail.

Monday, 11:25am

Crews making 'good progress' on Black Mountain Fire (near Minersville, Beaver County)

A wildfire that sparked in Minersville after a vehicle rollover on Thursday remains at 90 percent contained, officials tweeted on Monday.

Firefighters are making good progress on the #BlackMountainFire as the fire remains at 90% contained. Critical fire weather is expected today. #CCDHowell
— Utah Fire Info (@UtahWildfire) July 2, 2018

Officials said on Sunday that the fire has burned nearly 6,000 acres.

Monday, 11:09am

Closures and evacuations for Dollar Ridge Fire (near Strawberry Reservoir, Wasatch County)

U.S. 40, Pinnacles Roads and Strawberry Reservoir recreation areas are open, according to Utah Division of Forestry Fire and State Lands spokesman Jason Curry. However, there are some evacuations, pre-evacuations and closures related to the fire Monday. Evacuations:

About 10 homes and cabins in Beaver and Timber canyons

Pre-evacuations:

All homes/cabins in Camelot Resort

All homes downriver from Camelot Resort

All homes on Currant Creek off U.S. 40

All homes on west Pinyon Ridge

Closures:

Access in to Camelot on the Strawberry River Road

Access in to Timber Canyon from all directions

Monday, 10:34am

Willow Patch Fire (Sevier County) remains 50 percent contained

A fire burning in Sevier County remains 50 percent contained Monday, Bureau of Land Management officials said Monday. It has burned more than 4,700 acres since it started on Friday. Officials tweeted Monday that drivers on state Route 24 should not stop along the highway in areas where the fire is or crews are for "your safety and firefighter safety."

#willowpatchfire update: 4711 acres, 50% contained. Red flag warning today. For your safety and firefighter safety, please do not stop along highway 24 where you see fire activity or equipment. pic.twitter.com/DDvPMYsTHy
— Utah Fire Info (@UtahWildfire) July 2, 2018

Monday, 09:57am

Community meeting about West Valley Fire to be held in New Harmony, Washington County

A community meeting answering questions about the fire fighting operations for the West Valley Fire is scheduled to be held Monday at the New Harmony Fire Station (133 E. Center St.) The fire, which is more than 10,500 acres, or more than 16 square miles, was 5 percent contained as of Monday morning, according to the Bureau of Land Management. The cause of the fire is believed to be human-caused. A red flag warning was issued Monday because of high forecasted temperatures and high winds in southwestern Utah. No evacuations are currently in place, but some road and trail restrictions remain in place.The planned meeting for Monday is slated to begin at 7 p.m.

The #WestValleyFire is grown to 10,510 acres and is at 5% containment. Helicopters continue to drop water on hotspots, and fixed-wing air tankers are dropping retardant to support crews on the fireline. See full details on Inciweb: https://t.co/jGtH4eBe3T pic.twitter.com/QupIyrMtUa
— Utah Fire Info (@UtahWildfire) July 2, 2018

Monday, 08:47am

Evacuations ordered as Dollar Ridge Fire continues to grow (near Strawberry Reservoir, Wasatch County)

The Dollar Ridge Fire, located about 4.5 miles southeast of Strawberry Reservoir, is considered the most complex wildfire currently burning in our state. Fire spokesman Jason Curry, the public information officer for Utah Division of Forestry Fire and State Lands, says this is because of terrain, fire behavior, fuels, the potential to threaten structures and the involvement of two counties in this big recreation area. Curry says the fire was human-caused. Investigators continue to look into exactly what started it. Folks in 10 structures in Beaver Canyon and at the top of Strawberry River have been evacuated. We’re told the Duchesne County Sheriff’s Office has given pre-evacuation notice to those in the Strawberry River Drainage and Timber Canyon areas, which Curry estimates to be dozens of homes. Strawberry River Road is also closed at Camelot Resort in Fruitland. The fire sparked around 1 p.m. Sunday. Curry says the fire spread quickly in steep terrain and high winds. By the evening, it had grown to 6,600 acres. He says initial crews tried to get some line around it but made very little progress given winds and steep terrain. “We had a heli-attack crew that flew a crew right to the fire. They tried to get on it and they outfitted their helicopter to do bucket drops, but with fire behavior this extreme, those bucket drops were ineffective,” said Curry. One hundred firefighters worked hard Sunday. Curry says the fire is zero percent contained at this point.

Exclusive video from @KSLChopper5 above the #DollarRidgeFire yesterday. This morning @newsyCaitlin has the details on @KSL5TV #KSLAM pic.twitter.com/9TrNcPV4Xm
— Derek Petersen (@Derek_Photog) July 2, 2018

“Really this is going to go on for several days. We’ve ordered a Type-2 Incident Management team based on the analysis that we’ve done on this fire and all of its complexities. We know it’s going to be at least several days, if not more,” said Curry. As people prepare for the Fourth of July, Curry says it’s a “good reminder for the public. We know this is a human-caused fire. We’re looking for any information that anyone might have to help us get to the bottom to what started it.”

Meeting of the minds as Day 2 of the #DollarRidgeFire fight continues. #KSLAM pic.twitter.com/mTU3BR3FRB
— Caitlin Burchill (@newsyCaitlin) July 2, 2018

As for your celebrations, he warns, “Going into the Fourth of July holiday, we want people to be really careful out there. Things are super dry. Much dryer than in the last few years. Just help us out. Put those campfires out cold, be really careful with the fireworks and then secure your chains when you’re driving a trailer.” —Caitlin Burchill, KSL TV

Hundreds of homes evacuated as Dollar Ridge Fire reaches 30K acres

By Jordan Ormond and Carter Williams, KSL.com | Posted - July 2, 2018 at 10:36 p.m.

Show 2 more videos

Duchesne County evacuation orders to remain through the night; other Utah wildfires continue to burn

FEMA to help cover cost of fighting Dollar Ridge Fire

Dollar Ridge Fire grows to 30K acres

Dollar Ridge Fire moving fast, burns through 4 canyons in 24 hours

Residents living near Pinion Ridge ordered to evacuate immediately

Brush fire burns 1/4 acres at Provo golf course

Mandatory evacuation ordered for Camelot Resort (near Fruitland, Duchesne County)

Crews making 'good progress' on Black Mountain Fire (near Minersville, Beaver County)

Closures and evacuations for Dollar Ridge Fire (near Strawberry Reservoir, Wasatch County)

Willow Patch Fire (Sevier County) remains 50 percent contained

Community meeting about West Valley Fire to be held in New Harmony, Washington County

Evacuations ordered as Dollar Ridge Fire continues to grow (near Strawberry Reservoir, Wasatch County)

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Hundreds of homes evacuated as Dollar Ridge Fire reaches 30K acres

By Jordan Ormond and Carter Williams, KSL.com | Posted - July 2, 2018 at 10:36 p.m.

+ Show 2 more videos

Duchesne County evacuation orders to remain through the night; other Utah wildfires continue to burn

FEMA to help cover cost of fighting Dollar Ridge Fire

Dollar Ridge Fire grows to 30K acres

Dollar Ridge Fire moving fast, burns through 4 canyons in 24 hours

Residents living near Pinion Ridge ordered to evacuate immediately

Brush fire burns 1/4 acres at Provo golf course

Mandatory evacuation ordered for Camelot Resort (near Fruitland, Duchesne County)

Crews making 'good progress' on Black Mountain Fire (near Minersville, Beaver County)

Closures and evacuations for Dollar Ridge Fire (near Strawberry Reservoir, Wasatch County)

Willow Patch Fire (Sevier County) remains 50 percent contained

Community meeting about West Valley Fire to be held in New Harmony, Washington County

Evacuations ordered as Dollar Ridge Fire continues to grow (near Strawberry Reservoir, Wasatch County)

Photos

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