Fire and mud: a one-two punch for Juab County residents


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JUAB COUNTY — Residents living south of Levan spent the day Wednesday clearing mud from their property. A thunderstorm that aided firefighters battling the Levan Fire Tuesday also caused a damaging mudslide.

Last week, these neighbors were worried about a wildfire burning on the hillside above their homes. The burn scar left behind could not hold back the heavy runoff from Tuesday's storm, which dumped more than an inch of rain.

"This whole hillside started sliding and covered the whole road, and water (came) down both sides of the road. It was furious, running like crazy,” said Juab County resident Brandon Scott.

The river of water went straight for Dale and Phyllis Kenison’s home. Just as they realized their home was in danger, they saw people suddenly showing up to help, building a barricade of large straw bales.

“We had neighbors we didn’t recognize, from the other part of town, and everyone just stayed right here until they knew the house was safe and we didn’t get any flooding inside,” Dale Kenison said.

The heavy thunderstorm sent a river of mud, rocks and debris across Highway 28, closing the road for hours; and the runoff and it kept going— damaging the crops in farmer’s fields.


We had neighbors we didn't recognize, from the other part of town, and everyone just stayed right here until they knew the house was safe and we didn't get any flooding inside.

–Dale Kenison, Juab County resident


“It’s a pretty bad deal,” Scott said. “It’s ruined a lot of hay fields.”

Now, he and his neighbors are worried it’s going to happen again.

“Today, everybody down below us, and us, we are just trying to get all these ditches dug out and opened up, so if it rains again at least it will have somewhere to go," Scott said.

As the neighbors start the enormous task of trying to clean up their yards, people like the Kenisons said they are indebted to the community members who came to help.

“A great big thank you! We would have really had some damage if it hadn’t been for them,” Dale Kenison said.

As for the Levan Fire itself, fire monitors said it was 95 percent contained Wednesday evening.

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