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By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
Levan City was enjoying a happy Pioneer Day, July 24th, when at about 4 p.m., a fast moving wildfire ignited on the east side of Highway 28 and quickly endangered six homes along the north side of the blaze.
Dorothy Harvey, incident contract, introduced Incident Commander, Mark Rosenthal, Great Basin Incident Command Team 3, to those assembled at a community meeting held at the Juab High School Little Theater on Monday.
Rosenthal said that the fire quickly spread and, within 18 hours, had burned 2,425 acres.
"There was pretty impressive fire growth in that amount of time," said Randy Anderson, Operations Line Chief. "It moved about seven miles that first night."
The interagency Incident Management Team (IMT), made up of fire management professionals from various wildland agencies, will continue to manage the fire for the State Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands until the incident is resolved.
The fire is thought to be human caused.
The fire will not be abandoned, said Rosenthal. The firefigthers are actively trying to build a containment line around the fire. Some of that line is being built by hand crews.
"It is just good old fashioned labor," said Anderson. "We are just trying to get a line around the points of concern."
Anderson said he had been watching two other fires and the lightning strikes several miles away when he noticed the column of smoke coming from the Levan fire and, within 90 minutes, the fire had sent up a huge cumulonimbus fire-cloud that could be seen from 60 miles away.
"The strong wind was the catalyst," said Ken Rodgers, fire incident staff member.
With heavy west winds, the fire rapidly outpaced efforts to put it out.
Extreme fire behavior caused spot fires up to one-quarter mile ahead of the main fire front.
"In wildfire, grass is the primary carrier," said Anderson.
The fire began across the highway from Bateman's Dairy just one mile south of Levan in an area where the grass was tall and dry. The wildfire then spread to junipers and oak brush and then into timber at the higher elevations.
One problem had been that there had not been a wildfire in the area for many years, said Rodgers, who said that, though the fire started in the grass there was a lot of litter fall.
"That is the term we use for the accumulation of dead material, such as leaves, in the understory," he said. "It was dried out and very conducive to the fire spreading."
There was concern for homes and campers in the area. Evacuations were ordered almost immediately for six homes in the area of Chicken Creek to Water Hollow. By about 9 p.m. evacuations were lifted and residents returned to their homes.
Highway 28 was also closed but was reopened by 9 p.m.
"We have homes along the foothills and that was our main concern," said Juab County Sheriff, Alden Orme, "Chicken Creek Campground was also evacuated."
Those campers were flown to safety by helicopter.
Resources from Juab County, Nephi, Mona, Sanpete County, State of Utah, US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management responded.
"The fire is currently 65 percent contained," said Rosenthal.
There are currently 586 personnel assigned to the incident. There are 20 hand crews with 20 personnel each, eight helicopters, 10 engines, two water tenders and one bulldozer.
"The estimated cost, to date, is $2,331,728," he said. "Heavy rain and higher humidity have aided in firefighting efforts."
He said that personnel are now working to establish as much containment as possible before high winds forecasted as part of a Red Flag Warning develop. Winds are expected to come from the southwest, producing fire spread to the northeast.
ATGS (Air Tactical Group Supervisor) manages incident airspace and incident air traffic and is an airborne firefighter who assigns and evaluates the use of aerial resources in support of an incident.
A infrared photo of the fire had been taken which still showed the hot spots that were burning.
A C-130 is dropping tons of fire retardant on the fire in an effort to curtail it.
"The pilot spent 34 years with the US Air Force," said Rosenthal.
In the rugged mountainous terrain, he is able to fly close down the side of the mountain and then abruptly pull up.
The huge helicopters, nicknamed cockroaches, have been using water from a nearby farmer's irrigation system. They can suck up 2,000 gallons in 42 seconds.
Two rain storms, one Sunday and one Monday, had helped with the firefighting effort, he said. One of those storms dropped one-third inch of rain and the other 1.33 inches.
"Heavy rain and higher humidity have aided in firefighting efforts. The weather forecast for Tuesday, July 29, calls for a 30 percent chance of rain," said Rosenthal. "With all the recent precipitation, flash flooding remains a hazard for firefighters."
Firefighters will be on scene for some time yet, he said. They are going to be building hand line where they can. In other areas, that will not be possible because of the rugged terrain.
The bottom, or drainage area, of Chicken Creek was green enough that it did not burn. However, there is a rocky cliff area where crews cannot be used. That area is filled with goat rock, said Anderson, and it would be a great hazard to firefighters to put them in that area.
"It is so steep, we call it goat rock, that with the rain, ash is slick like clay, firefighters would be in danger," he said.
A lot of the method used is determined by what will allow for the safety of firefighters.
The fire in that area will continue to be watched, but for now, hand crews are working to establish a line. The line varies in width from place to place.
"We build a line as wide as needed," he said.
Firefighters, who have created a tent city at the high school, are from all over. One digging line, said Rosenthal, is from Alaska. And one crew is the Navajo hotshots.
"But it is a big fire," Jason Curry, spokesman for the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, said. "So it will be a long term event."
Updates will be posted on Twitter @UtahWildfire; on utahfireinfo.gov; on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Levan.wildfire; or firefighters can be emailed at LevanWGBteam@gmail.com.
