Updated Wednesday, July 17, 2:08 p.m.
The Silver King Fire has now reached 17,750 acres at 20% containment.
The fire is contained on its east side three miles outside Marysvale Town and on its northwest side short of its namesake, the Silver King Mine. Crews worked Sunday to hold and strengthen these containment lines.
One week since lightning started the Silver King Fire outside of Marysvale, the fire was still quite active Friday. Over the weekend, fire behavior became more moderate. Saturday the fire received a very small amount of rain, and Sunday the smoke conditions improved. A Monday morning social media update added that 703 personnel are working on fighting the fire.
Thursday firefighters made it into Miners Park and found two structures had burned, plus one historical structure: the Bully Boy Mill.
Built in 1922, the Bully Boy Mill was the eighth marked stop in a historical tour going up Bullion Canyon, Marysvale’s “Canyon of Gold.” The mill shut down 16 years later, writes outdoor experiences media platform Matcha on Visit Utah.
As far as we know the other eight spots along the tour have so far survived the fire. But the whole trail is closed as the fire continues to burn.
Homes near Miners Park up Bullion Canyon have also lost power and been evacuated. Firefighters are working to keep these and other historical structures safe.
“They’ve actually set up pumps and generators, pumping water on these historical sites to save them,” Piute Commissioner Sam Steed told KUTV. “They know how much it means to the area. . . .Everywhere you go, every turn you take in these canyons out here, there’s mining history.”
Most of Piute County, though, is not affected by this fire. Marysvale, three miles east, has some smoke, prompting interagency fire to recommend smoke sensitive groups reduce prolonged outdoor exertion. In Marysvale and on its east side, all Monroe Mountain campsites and trails remain open, as well as the Castle Rock Campground to the north.
Marysvale’s 24th of July celebration will still happen.
In addition Marysvale Town has really come together and reacted positively over this fire. The Fire Department and Search and Rescue teams, as well as the Mayor and Sheriff’s Department have been working day and night on this fire, up until the Forest Service took over Thursday. And they still do everything they can to help.
Thursday Marysvale posted on social media, “Let’s cover the town with thank you signs for our fire fighters! They mentioned they love it when they see the signs around and people waving as they come into town.” The response was overwhelming.
Now the next big concern in Marysvale is about flooding related to the fire.
The National Weather Service predicts a low relative humidity and light, variable winds in Marysvale Wednesday afternoon. There is a 60% chance for rain from thunderstorms on the fire.
There will be a community information meeting on the Silver King Fire Saturday, July 13, at the Latter-day Saint Church in Marysvale at 6 p.m.
– by Abbie Call, The Byway
Feature image caption: A July 12 map of the Silver King Fire west of Marysvale, now at 15,548 acres and 2% containment. Courtesy of Utah Fire Info.
Abbie Call – Cannonville/Kirksville, Missouri
Abbie Call is a journalist and editor at The Byway. She graduated in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in editing and publishing from Brigham Young University. Her favorite topics to write about include anything local, Utah’s megadrought, and mental health and meaning in life. In her free time, she enjoys reading, hanging out with family, quilting and hiking.
Find Abbie on Threads @abbieb.call or contact her at [email protected].