• Crews continue to battle Pole Creek and Bald Mountain Fires

• Residents asked to continue conserving natural gas due to uncertainty of fires

• Mona City council holds kickoff meeting with Urban Planning International

• Back

• Obits

• Classifieds

• Home

By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent

The Pole Creek Fire, which began in Juab County, continues to grow with only 2 percent containment as of Monday, and has burned 71,873 acres and the forecast is that critical fire conditions will continue with continued high winds, warm temperatures and low humidity challenging firefighting efforts.

Suzie Tenhagen, Public Information Officer for the Pole Creek Fire and the Bald Mountain Fire, reported that the two fires grew to 86,107 acres, with additional evacuations put in place during the day.

“The Pole Creek fire crossed over Highway 6 and moved approximately five miles northward in the Diamond Fork area,” said the press release she provided. “The fire moved very little in the area.”

Firefighters have been successful in point protection and suppression efforts and no structures have been lost.

“The fire has burned up against the Coal Hollow Fire burn scar, which is being used to prevent the easterly spread of the fire south of Highway 6,” according to the press release.

Unless there is significant rainfall and other weather conditions improve, the Pole Creek Fire, with 2 percent containment, is expected to continue to burn for another two weeks. The same prediction is true for the Bald Mountain Fire which has zero containment.

Air resources are being used across the fire and were critical Sunday where firefighters were able to keep the fire from spilling over the ridgeline into the Covered Bridge subdivision.

“Smoke can prevent residents on the ground from seeing air operations,” according to the press release. “High winds and smoke can also periodically shut down air operations.

Crews will continue aggressive suppression efforts and structure protection on both fires with firefighter and public safety as the primary objective.

Roads closed as of Monday were US Highway 6, from the mouth of Spanish Fork Canyon until the junction with US Highway 191 just north of Helper and US Highway 89 from Thistle Junction on Highway 6 to the Utah/Sanpete County lines.

The rail line is in contact with fire personnel to allow safe and limited passage.

Area closures include Santaquin Canyon, Mona Pole Canyon and the Nebo Loop National Scenic Byway from Payson Canyon to Salt Creek Canyon.

The location of the Pole Creek Fire lightning start was 12 miles NE East of Nephi, off of Mount Nebo Loop Road and was reported at 10:30 a.m. as approximately a half-acre in size on Thursday, September 6.

The Bald Mountain Fire start was also a lightning strike located 7 miles northeast of Mona on August 24.

Total personnel on the Pole Creek Fire is estimated at 524 personnel with more arriving.The Great Basin Team 1 (Incident Commander Marty Adell), a Type 1 Incident Management Team, is managing the Pole Creek Fire. A Rocky Mountain Type 1 Team (Incident Commander Todd Pechota) assumed command of the Bald Mountain Fire Sunday at 6 a.m.

“Multiple ground and air resources worked to establish containment lines and actively conducted structure assessment and protection operations,” the press release stated.

Diamond Fork Canyon and Sheep Creek were put under evacuation Sunday, as well as the right hand of Hobble Creek Canyon. The left hand of Hobble Creek is under pre-evacuation notice, according to Sgt. Spencer Cannon with the Utah County Sheriff’s Office.

“The Pole Creek fire began with a lightning strike in the Nebo Loop area south of Summit Trail No. 113 in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest in Juab County just south of the Utah County border,” said Tenhagen.

Firefighters conducted firing operations over several days to clear heavy brush and ladder fuels, while also working to minimize the spread of the fire east of Forest Service Road 15 (Nebo Loop Road), south and west of Trail 113, and north of Forest Service Road 16 (Pole Canyon).

The current resources on the fire include 12 hand crews, eight helicopters, 29 engines, six water tenders, five dozers and 498 personnel.

“Despite red flag conditions yesterday, great progress was made constructing dozer lines in between the fire’s edge and structures,” the update said. “Additional firefighting resources, including personnel and equipment, continue to arrive and are being assigned to assist in divisions on the Bald Mountain fire.”

About 578 firefighters are at the scene and more are expected to arrive.

Resources continue to arrive at both fires, including hand crews, engines, heavy equipment and air resources.

The plan for the Bald Mountain fire is that dozers will create a fire line from Payson Canyon east to Loafer Canyon, keeping the fire south of Elk Ridge and Woodland Hills.

“Ground crews and heavy equipment operators continue to construct fire line and provide structure protection in critical areas on both of the fires,” said the report.

As additional resources arrive, the IMT will increase staffing on the Bald Mountain divisions and continue scouting possible containment lines.

“Due to the steep, inaccessible terrain and other hazards within the fire area, indirect fireline will be constructed in many places to reduce exposure and risk to firefighters,” read the press release. “As weather and fire conditions allow, crews may conduct firing operations to remove fuels to strengthen containment lines and minimize impacts to values at risk.”

“This is a hard fire to fight due to steep terrain and strong wind gusts that fan flames and ground firefighting aircraft,” Gov. Gary Herbert said Friday.

“We have a lot of structures in the pathway of the fire and that could be very, very devastating if we can’t contain it,” Herbert said.

Several state and local officials have criticized the U.S. Forest Service for allowing the fire to burn for several days early this month before it doubled in size Thursday.

“More inept decision-making by the Forest Service who decided to try and ‘manage’ this fire and let it burn instead of suppression—during one of the worst droughts in recent history,” Lieutenant Governor Spencer Cox wrote in a tweet Thursday.

Governor Herbert inspected the two fires by air on Saturday. He stated that this was not the appropriate time to point fingers of blame towards agencies or people.

“There will be time to be very analytical about this, we will learn a lot,” Herbert said. “Mistakes may have been made and we will learn from those mistakes and certainly everyone agrees there’s room for improvement… This is the time to unite together and put out the fire.”

Due to the increased risk and exposure to firefighters, crews will continue to scout locations for containment lines.

“The eastern flank of the Bald Mountain Fire is burning into the Pole Creek Fire and is not currently staffed,” said the press release.

The two fires are less than a half mile apart.