By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
Two giant fires have been burning
in Juab County for the past week and have consumed more than
70,000 acres between the two of them.
In a lightening storm on Monday,
July 31, more than 15 new fires were reported, said Greg
Newton, county fire marshal. "Most of them were from Nephi
Canyon (Salt Creek) south and there may be some, another
five or so, that will lay around a couple of days and then
flare up and bite us."
The Oldroyd Complex and the Mona
Fire have had crews on the fire line for long shifts until
Monday evening, said Newton.
The Oldroyd Fire is nearly
contained, he said. However, the Mona Fire is still taking
new acres and added approximately 10,000 Monday
night.
"We finally got a Type I Team to
come in and help us," he said. The team arrived at 8:30 p.m.
and Newton was told to take over the initial response work
on the new fire starts.
He said the East Great Basin, of
which Utah is a part, fire report Monday was 19 pages long.
It became necessary to "cry Uncle" and report that Juab
County was in dire need of firefighters and resources. "If
we were ever going to get the fire under control, we needed
more manpower."
It was decided to send in the Type
I Team, the cream of the crop, as far as fire fighting is
concerned.
The help was more than welcome," he
said. "I had been putting in 22 to 39 hours at a stretch and
our firefighters have been worked to death. It will take
them a week to recover and we don't have a week to give
them."
Newton said it had been difficult
to get any resources, other than local firefighters, to
combat the two largest wildfires in the county because of
the fires burning throughout the West.
"On July 26 the Mona Fire blew up
and, for a time, threatened a $25 million power substation,"
said Newton. "I ordered airdrops and I got enough to protect
the substation. Once the situation was no longer critical,
and I told them so, the other two drops were
diverted."
Homes take precedence in any fire
fighting effort, he said. For that reason, with all the
fires burning in Utah and surrounding states, it has been
difficult to get the needed help. "There have been so many
areas where homes have been and are being
threatened."
In the Mona Fire, the substation
was the first priority. After that, firefighters
concentrated on protecting a $5 million turkey venture at
the turkey farm, the Cellular One tower, and a 44,000 volt
power line.
Much of the land which has been
burned is used for cattle grazing and will have an effect on
that industry.
"We were foresighted and had all
the cattle evacuated when the fire headed west," said
Newton. "There was one big nice pasture that we evacuated
just in case the fire would burn that area, and it did. It
took it all."
The Mona Fire has burned west into
Young Springs, 15 miles west of Mona and northwest into
Kimball Creek. If the blaze were to continue in the present
direction, it would be a threat to the community of Elberta
in Utah County.
"I have been trying to get a single
engine air tanker assigned to our airport," said Newton.
"There is a possibility that we may get one from Michigan
which could be assigned to our airport until the end of the
fire season. I'm still working on that."
Newton said he was thankful to see
the Type I Team show up last night. "I had the whole east
side of the mountain to myself we were spread so
thin."
Newton said his crews had worked
throughout the night to suppress the newly started fires.
The work will continue today, he said.
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