Fire destroys 2 sheds in Erda

ERDA, Tooele County — Two structures were determined to be a total loss after a fire started on Sunday in Erda.

The structures, meant for hay bale storage, were in the area of Bates Canyon and Pheasant View Lane and caught fire around 10:30 a.m., according to North Tooele Fire District firefighter and spokesperson Jonathan Smith.

With the fire contained, at least two dozen firefighters on scene refocused their efforts on suppression to preserve surrounding buildings, according to Smith. He said firefighters were worried that the weather would add fuel to the fire.

"It was all hands on deck today with above-average temperatures all season long, and then we've got 40-mile-an-hour winds gusting out at the south," Smith said.

No evacuations were ordered due to the fire, but Smith said that on a windy day like Sunday, an ember could be picked up and get carried outside the incident command area. Firefighters remained on scene in case they were needed; however, they didn't expect the fire to pick up again.

"We expect the worst, plan for the worst and hope for the best," Smith said.

Fire personnel were brought in from all sides of the Tooele Valley, and many were volunteers who dropped everything to help, according to Smith.

"We have guys showing up, you know, in their church clothes with turnout gear on top of it," Smith said. "We really appreciate the mutual aid from all sides of the county coming in, all of the volunteers that showed up to keep the community safe, and we really appreciate the public's support."

Smith also gave credit to the owner of the affected property, saying they did a great job of keeping vegetation cut down so it didn't spread beyond the initial area.

Several goats located on the property were uninjured, and no humans were injured either, Smith said.

As of Sunday, foul play was not suspected, and the fire was still under investigation, but both structures were deemed a total loss, according to Smith.

"When you're dealing with farmland, it could be any number of things," Smith said. "It could be spontaneous combustion; there could be fuels in the area, so we'll have our fire investigators take a look, and we'll have an answer for that in a day or two."

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