This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
The 68,407-acre Brian Head Fire was 75 percent contained as of dawn Wednesday, two and a half weeks after a weed-burning project gone wrong sparked the blaze in tinder-dry southern Utah.
An army of 1,383 firefighters — down from a high of nearly 1,900 last week — continued to focus on the rugged, steep terrain along the fire's eastern and northeastern flanks. Beetle-killed timber, old growth conifer, spruce and fir trees and brush provided ready fuels, but crews, aided by water-bearing helicopters and air tankers dropping tons of fire retardant had the upper hand.
"Things are looking better today," said Fire Information Officer Patty Bean. "We're doing a lot of mop up and have already started to rehabilitate areas of the fire impacted by suppression actions."
Gusty winds early on had propelled the blaze, destroying 13 homes and forcing 1,500 residents of the Brian Head ski resort community and environs to evacuate. Conditions were calmer Wednesday.
The hot, dry weather — temperatures Wednesday were expected to climb into the low 90s — persisted. However, some showers were hoped for on Friday as thunderstorms move into the region.
Although most residents were allowed back into their homes Monday and State Route 143 was opened, several communities remained evacuated Wednesday. However, Bean said evacuees from those areas — Bear Valley, Horse Valley, parts of Clear Creek, Little Creek Ranch, Red Creek, Second Left Hand Canyon, Co-op Valley, Castle Valley, Little Valley and Tebbs Ranch — likely will be allowed to return sometime Friday.
In extreme northwestern Utah, two lightning-sparked wildfires continued to burn. The Cedar Hills Fire was estimated at between 2,500-5,000 acres southwest of the Utah-Idaho border, pending more accurate mapping. It was 45 percent contained as of Wednesday morning.
Meanwhile, the 1,200-acre Rosebud Fire southwest of Park Valley was not threatening structures and remained uncontained.
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