Hundreds Evacuated as Deadly Utah Wild Fire Grows
Pastor Dale Morgan
Hundreds Evacuated as Deadly Utah Wild Fire Grows*
Monday July 2, 2007 5:46 AM
NEOLA, Utah (AP) - A wildfire that has scorched about 46 square miles in
northeastern Utah and killed three people has prompted the evacuation of
hundreds of people from nearby towns and forced authorities to close a
national forest to the public.
The fire started Friday morning north of Neola, about 100 miles east of
Salt Lake City, and on Sunday morning crews had it about 5 percent
contained. The cause had not been determined.
The fire began spreading into the Ashley National Forest Sunday
afternoon, prompting federal authorities to close it to public use.
The small communities of Whiterocks, Farm Creek, Paradise and Tridell
were evacuated Saturday. Some residents in Tridell had been allowed to
return.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency said about 300 people are under
a mandatory evacuation. Another 150 homes in Dryfork Canyon, about 8
miles northeast of the fire, could be threatened by Tuesday, said Derek
Jensen, a FEMA spokesman.
``We are seeing extreme fire behavior and the potential for growth is
still there. We haven't had a change in weather or change in fuel type
or dryness,'' said Louis Haynes, a spokesman for the national forest.
At nearby Vernal, there was little wind Sunday, the temperatures hit 95
degrees and midday humidity was only 10 percent, according to the
National Weather Service.
Edson Gardner, of Fort Duchesne, went to Farm Creek to evacuate his
mother, whose home was burned to the ground.
``It came down the canyon like a herd of horses,'' he said Saturday.
``The sheriff told us we had five minutes to get out.''
Uintah County Sheriff Jeff Merrell said buildings had been destroyed but
he didn't have a count.
A U.S. Forest Service command team that travels the country fighting the
largest fires joined local crews Sunday and took over direction of the
firefighting efforts.
Eleven-year-old Duane Houston escaped the fire but his father,
43-year-old Tracy Houston, and his grandfather, 63-year-old George
Houston, were killed by the flames Friday as they worked in a hay field,
authorities said. The owner of the field, 75-year-old Roger Roberson,
died at a hospital, officials said Saturday.
The Houstons had gone to buy hay from Roberson, and were helping him
move irrigation sprayers on his field in an attempt to block the flames.
Duane said he was told to run for their truck as flames and smoke filled
the air.
``I ran and couldn't find the truck, so I kept running through trees,
climbed two fences and followed the road,'' he told The Salt Lake
Tribune. He was treated at a hospital and released.
Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman's request for aid from FEMA was granted on
Sunday. A federal grant will pay 75 percent of the state's eligible
firefighting costs.
In Montana, fire managers on Sunday were reducing personnel assigned to
a blaze that had burned nearly 6 square miles in the Gallatin National
Forest. Evacuation orders remained in effect Sunday for several dozen
summer homes, the Madison Arm Resort, some campgrounds and a ranger station.
In California, the wildfire that destroyed at least 254 homes south of
Lake Tahoe was 95 percent contained late Sunday, the U.S. Forest Service
said.
Crews also battled a wildfire Sunday that had blackened more than 482
acres of brush in a rugged area of Santa Barbara County near popular
campsites and swimming holes.
That fire, which started Saturday evening, was 60 percent contained
Sunday morning, U.S. Forest Service spokesman Robert Rainwater said. The
blaze had closed some campgrounds, but no residents had been ordered to
leave their homes, he said. The cause of the fire was under investigation.
Fire crews north of Los Angeles had a 19-square-mile blaze 90 percent
contained, state fire department spokesman Shawn Sternick said. Twelve
houses and six other buildings had been destroyed since the fire broke
out a week ago in steep canyons south of the San Joaquin Valley,
officials said.