This is an old news article from a previous year. The results in this article are from a fire on the Paunsaugunt Plateau in 2022. Read about a local Henrieville fire in 2024 here.
July 1st, 2022
The Left Fork Fire is now at 93% containment, leaving just a few more heat sources near the perimeter to be taken care of. The expected containment date has moved up to July 3rd, 2022, meaning the fire should be under control within a couple of days.
Utah Fire Info reported that “yesterday was the windiest day since the team arrived.” But the fire behavior related to the wind was minimal.
Follow more updates on the Utah Fire Info Facebook page.
Feature image caption: Smoke from the Left Fork Fire as seen from the Blues. June 21, 2022.
June 30th
“Outstanding work by the crews has caused a large increase in containment on the Left Fork Fire, up to 83%,” wrote Utah Fire Info this morning.
We really are so grateful for the firefighters who have done so much to get this fire contained! They work unselfishly to keep both the local people and our natural home intact. They have to find ways to fight the fire efficiently while also staying safe themselves, and they have done an excellent job at that.
The Left Fork Fire has been Utah’s biggest fire this year, reaching over 4,600 acres. Now, acreage is beginning to decrease to below 4,300 as firefighters get control of the perimeter.
June 29th
The Left Fork Fire is now at 50% containment, and this number is expected to go up. With these projected outcomes, the fire should be completely contained by August 1st, 2022.
Showers and fairly consistent cloud cover over the fire have helped crews to better suppress the fire. However, “fuels remain critically dry,” says Utah Fire Info, especially on the western flank.
Right now, crews are using aircraft when they need it, along with other tools such as a UAS (unmanned air system, basically a big drone) to identify hot spots.
June 27th
Utah Fire Info posted an hour ago that the Left Fork Fire has reached 40% containment!
As a reminder, don’t use you own drones around the fire.
Learn more at the Utah Fire Info Facebook page.
June 26th
On Sunday night, Utah Fire Info posted that light precipitation had “resulted in decreased fire behavior” allowing firefighters to attack the fire a little more directly.
The fire is now 13% contained, and firefighters continue to locate hot spots and extinguish heat sources.
Previously, Bryce Woodlands Estates were evacuated out of extra precaution, but that evacuation has now been lifted.
June 25th
On Wednesday, the 22nd, the weather finally joined our side, dumping a quarter inch of rain! That may not seem like a lot, but it really helped the firefighters’ efforts to contain the fire.
As of June 23rd, the Left Fork Fire is now over 4,241 acres, but the fire is behaving as expected. It continues to spread on the eastern side, and firefighters are doing their best to keep it away from the 105 road. The northern and southern sides have seen “little to no growth,” according to the Utah Fire Info Facebook page.
NOAA predicts potential for heavy rainfall over the weekend and even flash floods! But the week of the 27th–2nd is forecast to be warm and dry again.
No one is in immediate danger yet, and no injuries have been sustained from this fire. However, 50 structures and the 105 road are threatened. Please keep the 509 firefighters who continue to fight to contain the fire in your thoughts and prayers. And pray for more rain!
The pictures below will give an updated report from Utah Fire Info and the location of the closures.
Left Fork Fire Reignites – June 21st
Residents across the middle of Garfield and Wayne Counties fell under smoky skies after the Left Fork Fire reignited at the south end of Paunsaugunt Plateau over the weekend.
“The fire near Tropic Reservoir is not a controlled burn,” Garfield County Commissioner David Tebbs posted on Saturday. He was posting because you, like many of us, may have noticed the smoke billowing on Tropic’s horizon.
As of Tuesday morning, the Left Fork Fire has grown to over 3,009 acres. The affected area stretches southwest of Tropic Reservoir, driven northeast by continued winds.
Poor weather conditions including strong winds worsened the fire on Saturday and Sunday, and these conditions prevented firefighters from attacking it from the air until Monday.
On Monday morning, two helicopters, two SEATs (single engine air tankers), and one LAT (large air tanker) were cleared to begin fighting the fire from above. Crews reported only 5% of the fire has been contained.
A day after the original fire started on May 9, the Utah Department of Natural Resources determined the fire was human-caused. “Wildland Fire Managers conducted a prescribed fire to remove logging slash piles on April 7, 2022, near the origin of the Left Fork Fire,” DNR wrote in a press release. “Wildland Fire Investigators have determined that the Left Fork fire was caused by remnant heat from this prescribed fire.”
NOAA reports that though winds have died down since Sunday, humidity has been low. However, NOAA forecasts humidity across Southern Utah will begin to rise Tuesday night as monsoonal flow will deliver a plume of moisture and scattered thunderstorms to areas east of I-15 for the remainder of the week.
No one is in immediate danger yet, and no injuries have been sustained from this fire. Please keep the 145 firefighters who continue to fight to contain the fire in your thoughts and prayers.
The pictures below include the complete report from Utah Fire Info and the location of the closures.
– The Byway
Read more about weather changes in the area in Heat Warning and Heavy Rains.