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SARATOGA SPRINGS — Police in Utah County are imposing hefty fines and citations to keep people off of the burn scars from the Dump Fire.
Last June, two target shooters sparked a fire on Lake Mountain that ended up burning about 5,500 acres before it was contained. In September, heavy rains and the lack of vegetation caused severe flooding and mudslides along the burn scars. In October, the area was reseeded.
The Bureau of Land Management owns most of the land burned by the Dump Fire last year. In a joint effort with the Utah County Sheriff's Office, they have restricted the area from public access to encourage growth.
Homes below the scar, many of which were damaged by last year's floods, are vulnerable to the possible mud flow following spring showers.
The "no trespassing" signs however, have not stopped people from entering those areas and damaging the growth.
"They damage areas and kind of turn around the effort that was made in the first place," said Utah County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Spencer Cannon.
The sheriff's office is imposing $600 fines and citing trespassers with Class B misdemeanors.
"Some people think that the signs apply to everybody else but them. Those are the ones that we will deal with particularly," Cannon said.
