This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Some 1,500 evacuees had settled back into their southwestern Utah homes Monday, two weeks after fleeing a wind-driven wildfire that had blackened nearly 67,000 acres as the new work week dawned.
The Brian Head Fire, sparked by weed-burning project, ended up destroying 13 homes before firefighters — nearly 1,800 of whom remained on the lines Monday — were able to turn back the flames.
In steep, rugged and often rocky terrain surrounding the Iron County ski resort community, crews have battled not just an inferno fed by ultra-dry swaths of beetle-killed timber, dense old-growth forests and brush, but shifting winds gusting up to 40 mph.
By Monday, the fire — again fanned by the wind — had grown to 66,768 acres, consuming another 2,000-plus acres overnight along its steep, rocky northeastern flank.
Approximate location of fire
Fire Information Officer Andrew Jackson said that surge had been expected, and crews still had the blaze 65 percent contained.
"We had a little growth there, but we're holding tight, keeping it where it's at," Jackson said, confirming the target full-containment date of July 15 was still in place.
Overhead, helicopters dropped water and air tankers dumped tons of fire retardant. On the ground, crews used saws, shovels and set backfires; bulldozers then moved in to widen containment lines and fire breaks.
Protection of the Paragonah watershed, as well as securing lines around the Red Creek, Little Creek and Upper Bear Valley, remained high priorities.
Only a smattering of summer homes and cabins still remained off-limits, primarily in the Bear Valley, Little Creek Ranch, Red Creek, Second Left Hand Canyon, Co-op Valley, Horse Valley, Little Valley, Clear Creek, Castle Valley and Tebbs Ranch area.
Highway 143 was open once more, and Panguitch Lake was back in business for water enthusiasts.
The weather forecast offered mixed relief on Monday. While winds had eased into the 5-10 mph range, a Great Basin high pressure system kept relative humidity low. Brian Head area temperatures were forecast to climb into the low-80s.
Lightning ignited two more wildfires Monday in Box Elder County, which each grew to about 1,000 acres. The Rosebud Fire was burning southwest of Park Valley, and the Cedar Hills Fire burned southwest of Snowville. Air tankers and other firefighting crews responded, according to UtahFireInfo.gov.
remims@sltrib.com
Twitter: @remims