Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
- A 51-year-old man, Justin Derald Hurd, faces charges in connection with an 18-acre fire.
- The fire near Ogden's east bench led to evacuations and heightened safety concerns.
- Officials await state decisions on fireworks bans as Utah faces extreme fire risks.
OGDEN — A 51-year-old man has been charged after authorities said he sparked a hillside fire that burned more than 18 acres near homes on Ogden's east bench, forcing evacuations and renewing concerns about fire danger.
Justin Derald Hurd was arrested following the Mountain Road Fire, which started shortly after midnight Saturday.
According to charging documents, Hurd is accused of recklessly causing a catastrophe, a class A misdemeanor. Police said witnesses told investigators Hurd was attempting to start a campfire with a cigarette lighter when the fire quickly got out of control.
"We contacted a witness who had observed a male who had started the fire, and as we worked through that, the fire crews that were up there had actually contacted the male also while they were trying to fight the fire," Ogden Police Capt. Matthew Ward said.
An underage boy who had been hiking with Hurd told police he became uncomfortable after the flames ignited and left the scene in Hurd's black Dodge pickup truck, according to investigators.
"Their description was that he started a fire, just like a small fire while they were out hiking on a trail, and then the fire just started to catch other debris on fire and started growing out of his control," Ward said.
Neighbors reported seeing the truck leave the area without its headlights on. Officers later stopped the vehicle and discovered the juvenile was driving. He said he met Hurd earlier that night for the first time after Hurd approached him. Police said the boy is being treated as a witness in the case.
Investigators said Hurd denied starting the fire and told officers he attempted to put the flames out himself. Police reports also state Hurd was confrontational with firefighters.
The fire burned just over 18 acres but was contained later that night. Ogden officials credited an aggressive response by approximately 50 firefighters with preventing damage to nearby homes.
"It was very scary," Ward said. "The last couple of fires we had came very close to people's homes. We want to make sure people are safe. Even while people are recreating, we want the people who live in that area to be safe and be able to enjoy their homes as well."
The fire comes during an especially dry period and has heightened concerns among local officials as Pioneer Day.
Ogden Deputy Fire Chief Matthew Hess said city leaders are awaiting word from state officials on whether another fireworks ban will be issued. A statewide ban was implemented ahead of Independence Day because of elevated wildfire concerns.
"It gives us now some authority to be able to restrict fireworks citywide," Hess said. "Under normal legislation, we can't ban entire citywide restrictions on fireworks."
Hess said compliance with the Fourth of July ban was good overall.
"We only had one incident involving fireworks that caught some shrubbery on fire in front of a home," he said.
Fortunately, the fire didn't burn the house.
Fire officials said they hope to receive guidance soon so they can make plans and notify the public before holiday celebrations begin.
"This is an extremely dry year," Hess said. "Fire behavior is very extreme. The state of Utah has more acres burned in it than any other state at this point. And we're doing our best as a fire service to try and mitigate that and stop that, or at least slow the progression."
Meanwhile, Hurd's case is now before the courts.
