The guardsmen will staff roadblocks to cut off access to fire-endangered parts of the Ashley National Forest. The fire area is east of Yellowstone Canyon and west of Taylor Mountain Road and went into effect today.

Four hundred firefighters, supported by eight helicopters and four air tankers are battling the blaze today, said Brenda Bowen a spokeswoman for the Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team. The goal is to contain the fire on its south east and west borders.

Residents of Whiterocks who were evacuated Friday were able to return to their homes this morning. Other residents closer to the fire are still waiting for permission to go in. The fire destroyed several houses in Farm Creek.

The fire has slowed from its 1,000 acre an hour pace Saturday, Bowen said. Winds have died down since Sunday. "it's going a lot slower than it did originally," she said. The fire seems to be working its way up the steep canyons of the sparsely populated Ashley Forest.