LA SAL, San Juan County — Over a dozen structures were damaged or destroyed in the first few days of a fire that started in southeast Utah last week, according to a new assessment of the area.
National Weather Service officials say some dwellings in the area were also damaged by a rare “fire vortex” or “firenado” that the fire produced over the weekend.
Eleven private structures, a U.S. Forest Service guard station and a communication site were all damaged or destroyed by the Deer Creek Fire, Great Basin Complex Incident Management Team officials wrote in an update on Wednesday. It wasn’t immediately clear how many of the structures were primary or secondary homes, but state officials previously reported that four homes and five other structures had burned in the fire.
San Juan County is still conducting an assessment of the area, so the number of damaged structures could be higher, federal firefighters added.
The fire also sparked a rare fire-induced tornado on Saturday, creating a “mix of fire and wind damage” for dwellings and outbuildings in the area throughout its 12-minute duration, meteorologists from the Weather Service’s Grand Junction office wrote in a preliminary report on Tuesday.
Although many of the structures burned after the event, there was enough wind damage for them to determine that the “firenado” reached an EF-2 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, with winds peaking at 122 mph, within its 0.1-mile path. No injuries were reported, but the Bureau of Land Management reported that it also damaged one of its fire engines.
Meanwhile, the Deer Creek Fire has crossed over into Colorado as it continues to burn. It has now scorched 14,760 acres of land in Utah and Colorado and remains just 7% contained. Over 400 personnel, including six helicopters and 23 engines, are currently assigned to the fire, Great Basin Complex Incident Management Team officials said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Firefighter injured battling Forsyth Fire
Several other fires are actively burning across the state. A firefighter was injured in a fall while battling the Forsyth Fire in Washington County, prompting a rescue effort, Dammeron Valley Fire and Rescue officials said on Wednesday.
Medical teams were able to stabilize the firefighter before he was flown to St. George Regional Hospital. The firefighter’s condition was not immediately made available, but Dammeron Valley Fire officials said the individual is expected to make a full recovery.
Over 500 personnel are assigned to the fire, which has burned 15,682 acres since it was first reported on June 19. It’s now 81% contained. The Forsyth Fire remains the state’s most destructive this year, having destroyed 18 structures in the Pine Valley area in Washington County.
Other active fires
Firefighters are still working to secure the Manning Meadows, Magelby Meadows and Magelby Reservoir areas from the Monroe Canyon Fire burning in Sevier County, as well, said Brad Mihelic, operations section chief for the Great Basin Incident Management Team that is overseeing the central Utah fire.
About 250 personnel are assigned to battle the fire, which has now burned 8,646 acres since it started on Sunday. In a video update, Mihelic said areas north and east of the fire are at most risk on Wednesday because of wind directions. Some scouting crews have been dispatched to the Deep Lake and Big Lake areas, which include some popular campgrounds, to look for structures that could be in harm’s way.
“We have crews up scouting for structures and any values at risk,” he said. “There’s a bunch of structures up in here that we want to ensure that we have accountability for.”
The fire remains 0% contained.
Overall, 563 wildfires have burned over 77,500 acres of land in Utah this year. Fifty-six new starts were reported over the past week, according to Kayli Guild, fire prevention and communications coordinator for the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands. She said “critically dry” conditions persist across central and southern Utah, which has factored into the number of new starts.
While long-range outlooks offer some hope of isolated monsoonal precipitation returning this weekend, they also indicate that storms could be “spotty” throughout the rest of the month.