Flames reach backyards, but no structures lost in North Ogden fire, officials say

NORTH OGDEN — Flames reached backyards as a new wildfire burns in North Ogden on Wednesday evening, but no structures have been lost, state fire officials said.

About 150 homes are now evacuated after a vehicle fire sparked a wildfire, dubbed the Willard Peak Fire, in North Ogden Wednesday afternoon and the blaze grew to an estimated 300 acres.

Dubbed the Willard Peak Fire, the blaze is threatening about 15 to 20 structures, according to state fire officials at Utah Fire Info. The fire is burning uphill, and multiple ground crews and aircraft are responding.

An evacuation order had been issued for those living east of 1050 East and north of 3100 North in the northeastern part of the city, up the mountainside. The city is also calling on residents to avoid the area so emergency responders can fight the blaze.

Evacuations are expected to continue overnight Wednesday.

Wednesday evening, the fire was burning a half mile from homes, but firefighters were concerned about winds pushing the fire closer, said Jeremiah Jones, deputy fire chief of fire operations at North View Fire District.

Hand crews were trying to reinforce fire lines “and try to make it as safe as possible for tonight,” Jones said.

“The winds aren’t in our favor,” hampering efforts to attack the fire by air, he said.

Firefighters’ goal if the fire does travel down the mountainside to neighborhoods is to skirt the fire around houses.

“One thing that hinders that a little bit is that every night the winds shift and come down the canyon, and so we anticipate that will be, we’re starting to feel a little bit of that now,” Jones said.

Fire started on private property and has moved onto Forest Service land, he said.

The American Red Cross of Utah Northern Utah Chapter opened an evacuation center at 3602 N. 500 West in Pleasant View for those displaced by the fire.

Approximately 29,000 Rocky Mountain Power customers in Weber County are without power “due to an emergency de-energization,” the power company posted on Facebook. It advised customers in the county who have power to “turn off your A/C and other appliances where possible” to help crews get power back on for others more quickly.

Rocky Mountain Power has also advised customers without power to turn off their air conditioner and other appliances at the breaker box, which will allow power to be restored to the home faster when fire conditions improve.

The U.S. Forest Service announced trail closures in the area, including the North Fork Ogden Divide trailhead and parts of the Skyline North and Bonneville Shoreline trails.

Roads are being closed near the fire and North Ogden Cove, city officials said, adding “please do not pass barricades unless you live in the immediate area.”

This story will be updated.

Contributing: Erin Cox