By Christopher Smart
The Salt Lake Tribune
Copyright 2007 The Salt Lake Tribune
All Rights Reserved
NEPHI, Utah — Cooler temperatures and some rain helped wildland firefighters across Utah corral a number of blazes, although the Salt Creek fire east of Nephi was only 35 percent contained by Wednesday evening.
Meanwhile federal authorities looked to beef up manpower across the West where multiple wildfires continue to rage.
Sanpete County’s Indianola Valley remained under evacuation, said Ricardo Zuniga, a FEMA representative attached to the Salt Creek fire management team. Two homes, three commercial buildings and 12 out buildings have been destroyed so far.
But the humid weather and a touch of rain have allowed hand crews and bulldozers to make a direct attack on the 23,644-acre blaze that is burning in rugged country in the Uinta National Forest north of State Road 132 and the Manti La Sal National Forest south of the highway.
The road was reopened Tuesday.
The cost to fight the Salt Creek fire so far is estimated at $2.3 million.
“As we get into the weekend, temperatures will rise and humidity will drop,” Zuniga said. “It isn’t over till it’s over.”
The 9,156-acre Dakota Hills Complex fires in and around Zion National Park were 93 percent contained Wednesday, said David Eaker, the park’s fire information officer.
Crews are continuing mop-up operations on the blazes and management of the fires was returned to local authorities.
Rain and humidity helped firefighters on the Winecup Complex fires in Box Elder County. The fires had burned 153,970 acres of grass and brush with some pinyon and juniper. Fire officials Wednesday transferred responsibility for about 50,000 acres of the Winecup fires to crews battling the the Murphy Complex fires in Idaho. The blaze was 60 percent contained by Wednesday, said Pam Wilson, Interagency Fire public information officer.
“We’re reluctant to get too excited,” she said looking at the forecast for warmer temperatures and drier air. “But we’re cautiously optimistic.”
On the west end of Iron County, the Paradise fire was all but contained by Wednesday evening, said Lacee Bartholomew, Color Country fire spokeswoman.
“Things are looking up.”
Fifteen miles west of Grantsville, the Kimbell fire had burned across 14,692 acres of grass, brush and juniper but was 65 percent contained by Wednesday.
The Neola North fire near Roosevelt that claimed three lives on June 29 was 89 percent contained Wednesday.
The Sleepy Hollow fire in Cache County near Hyrum and Nibley has burned 890 acres and was 85 percent contained Wednesday night. In neighboring Box Elder County, two new fires started Wednesday south of Snowville and are burning 3,300 acres combined.
Longer term forecasts indicate that the West can expect dry conditions to continue to present wildland firefighting challenges, according to the U.S. Department of Interior. To help address the severe wildfire conditions in the West, Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne on Wednesday issued a directive to strengthen wildland firefighting efforts. It could mobilize about 1,000 additional employees with firefighting experience to assist in suppression and support activities.