OREM — A wildfire at the base of Mount Timpanogos forced the evacuation of about 15 homes Saturday and shut down Provo Canyon.
The homes within Provo Canyon and in the areas of the Cascade Mini Golf Course and Homestead were under “direct threat” from the blaze and were evacuated, said Orem Fire Battalion Chief Shaun Hirst.
Additional evacuations were ordered for Squaw Peak Road, and U.S. 189 was closed due to the fire and smoke affecting visibility, according to Utah Fire Info.
Hirst said the evacuation order could remain in place throughout Saturday evening and he predicted that the fire response will be an “extended event.”
Officials were continuing to investigate the cause of the fire, Hirst said, noting that personnel had been training at a gun range in the area. Photos appeared to show burned areas near that Orem gun range and flames spreading up the mountain from that area.
Firefighters were first sent to the area of 1000 E. Cascade Drive in Orem about noon Saturday. The blaze started just above the Orem Cemetery.
Dubbed the Range Fire, it was estimated at 1,500 acres by Saturday evening and was 0% contained.
The fire response plan has two primary components.
“Mainly, we’re looking at two things,” Hirst said. “We are protecting infrastructure. Orem’s water system is up on that hill, as well as homes, so that is our priority. And then traditionally we do have a breeze shift, or a wind shift, that’s going to occur later this evening, and we’re going to prepare for that.”
Burnouts have been conducted behind evacuated homes near the mouth of the canyon, according to Utah Fire Info.
Officials want to keep the blaze from spreading downhill, and wind blowing from the canyon could make containment difficult.
“Traditionally, there is a breeze that comes out of that canyon every night,” Hirst said. “That’s why we are evacuating those homes, and we’re developing a group of structure protection engines in the event that does occur.”
The fire is burning on light fuels, like grass and cheatgrass, and “the higher it gets, the less fuels it’s going to have,” Hirst said.
Saturday afternoon, there were three helicopters, six fixed-wing aircraft, multiple crews and brush trucks fighting the blaze. Officials had also requested a strike team from the Salt Lake Valley for structure protection.
Hirst estimated that around 100 to 120 firefighters were fighting the blaze.
“This is going to be a Type 3 incident by the end of the night, and so you’re going to see lots of resources from all over the state and maybe some from outside of the state that are going to be centralized in this northeastern part of town,” he said.
A Type 3 team manages initial attacks with extensive resources until the fire is contained or controlled.
Hirst said the numerous fires burning in California have sucked resources from many western states, which could be a concern if an extended fire response is needed.
Officials are asking locals to avoid the area and keep drones grounded to assist firefighters.
“This is October,” Hirst said. “We typically are not fighting this kind of fire in October. Our fuel moistures are way low for this time of year, so just be cautious when you recreate in the hills.”
Fire Canyon Fire
Another wildfire started in Summit County, east of Henefer, Saturday afternoon.
Dubbed the Fire Canyon Fire, it was estimated at 1,600 acres by Saturday night, according to Utah Fire Info.
While no structures were under threat, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources issued an emergency closure of the Henefer-Echo Wildlife Management Area.
A second blaze had started just north of Henefer, and the two fires had trapped several hunters, who had to be shuttled from the area, according to a news release.
The division said it will reevaluate the closure in 24 hours.
Officials determined the fire was human-caused, according to Utah Fire Info.
The Utah Army National Guard reported that it was sending two Black Hawk helicopters to help suppress the fire Saturday afternoon.