ST. GEORGE — Residents of Bryce Woodlands Estates received evacuation orders Tuesday as the Left Fork Fire progressed southwest.
In a Facebook post, Kane County Emergency Services – the Color Country Type 3 Incident Management Team that took command of operations Monday – recommended the evacuation after the fire crossed firelines at the southwest corner.
Kane County deputies and the fire warden were notifying residents and aiding in the evacuation. Fire managers have asked that individuals avoid the area, if possible, the post states.
The recommendation was made with an “abundance of caution” in response to current weather conditions and spot fires, said Sierra Hellstrom, a public information officer with the Color Country Type 3 Incident Management Team.
According to the National Wildfire Coordinating Group, spot fires are caused by embers landing on the unburned side of a fireline.
The fire is burning approximately 10 miles southwest of Bryce Canyon National Park. It is 5% contained and has grown to approximately 3,009 acres since it was reignited by red flag conditions and strong winds on Saturday, reported a recently released Color Country Interagency Fire Fact Sheet, posted to Utah Fire Info’s Facebook page.
Monday’s more favorable weather conditions and decreased wind allowed fire managers to more accurately assess and map the fire, the document states, and minimal growth was observed during that time.
Additionally, more crews arrived at the perimeter, bringing the number working the fire from four to seven. However, the steep, rugged terrain has prevented firefighters from “attacking” the fire directly in many areas, forcing responders to rely on air support, according to the fact sheet.
Initially grounded due to weather conditions, six helicopters, four single-engine air tankers and four large air tankers are being heavily utilized to support ground crews. Additionally, 12 fire engines and two water tenders have been dispatched, and dozers are creating fuel breaks where appropriate, the fact sheet states. Handlines and retardant drops are also in use to quell the blaze.
“With full suppression tactics, fire managers intend to utilize as many natural barriers as possible to gain containment on this fire,” the document reports.
No injuries or property damages have been reported and no structures are threatened, according to the fact sheet.
Additionally, the U.S. Forest Service issued expanded closure orders Monday, prohibiting individuals from accessing national forest lands as illustrated on the provided map.
Exemptions include those with a permit specifically exempting them from the order; federal state or local officers, or members of organized rescue or firefighting forces while performing their official duty; or persons with livestock permits inside of the East Fork, Kanab Creek or Upper Blubble allotments, the order reports.
The order will remain in effect until July 31 or until it is rescinded, the document states.
This is a developing story.
Photo Gallery
This map of Dixie National Forest illustrates the areas affected by a closure order, June 20, 2022 | Image courtesy of the United States Forest Service, St. George News This map illustrates the fire perimeter around the Left Fork Fire, approximately 10 miles southwest of Bryce Canyon National Park, June 21, 2022 | Image courtesy of Utah Fire Info, St. George News A rapidly burning wildfire in Dixie National Forest, near Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Kane County Emergency Services, St. George News A rapidly burning wildfire in Dixie National Forest, near Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Utah Fire Info, St. George News
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