- The Beulah Fire in Utah's Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest has burned 1,400 acres.
- Firefighters face wind shifts impacting the Monroe Canyon Fire, which burned 67,267 acres.
- Containment efforts for the Monroe Canyon Fire have increased to 19%.
KAMAS — A fire that prompted the evacuation of campers in the High Uintas wilderness on Thursday continues to grow, while crews battling the state's largest fire say they're bracing for potential impacts tied to shifting winds in Utah's forecast.
The Beulah Fire has now burned approximately 1,400 acres of land within Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, as of midday Friday, said U.S. Forest Service spokesman Toby Weed. It remains 0% contained.
The fire broke out about 3 to 4 miles east of Manorlands, a community near Mirror Lake Highway.
A Type 3 firefighting team from the state has taken over command of the fire after crews from Summit County and Uinta County, Wyoming, initially responded. Despite cooler temperatures, firefighters reported that they're still dealing with strong winds and low relative humidity, which has helped spread the fire.
Nearly 150 personnel are now assigned to battle the fire, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Some of the crews have been assigned to structure protection work, including Hinckley Scout Ranch, a Boy Scout camp in the area.
Campers were "strongly advised" to evacuate because of how quickly the fire was burning on Thursday, said Derek Siddoway, a spokesman for Summit County. Wind gusts of up to 50 mph were reported in the area, which helped fan the flames.
The U.S. Forest Service closed North Slope Road at the West Fork of the Blacks Fork River, the East Fork of the Bear River, and Mill Creek, as well as Elizabeth Ridge and Elizabeth Pass. People are still advised to avoid the area while crews battle the fire.
New fire restrictions also went into effect Friday across the entire Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest landscape.
The Perry Fire, which also broke out on Forest Service land on Thursday, has now burned about 10 acres in Box Elder County. State and federal firefighters say the fire is visible from I-15, but they're encouraging people not to report it because crews are already on scene.
How wind changes could affect Monroe Canyon Fire
Meanwhile, crews battling the state's largest fire this year are bracing for a shift in weather patterns that could impact how the fire is burning in central Utah.
A dry cold front passing through northern Utah on Friday is keeping temperatures cooler across the northern half. It's also shifting wind patterns, pushing winds from the northwest instead of the west and southwest. Cooler air will make its way to the central and southern parts of the state over the weekend, resulting in similar wind changes, said KSL meteorologist Matt Johnson.
Firefighters battling the Monroe Canyon Fire in Sevier County say they're planning for the wind shifts, which "will test different areas on the fire." It's expected to help push the western and northern ends of the fire into itself, but could present challenges along the southern end of the fire. That's why crews are focusing their attention on bolstering fire lines along that section.
"On the southern flanks of the fire, crews have been working around the clock to finish multiple layers of line construction, including handlines, dozer lines and retardant lines ahead of this wind shift," Great Basin Complex Incident Management Team No. 5 officials wrote in an update Friday.
The fire has now burned 67,267 acres since it began on July 13, growing nowhere as quickly this week as it did last week. Containment has also increased to 19% after falling as low as 4% at the end of last week.
Over 1,350 personnel are assigned to battling the fire.
