Fast-moving wildfire near Provo Canyon forces evacuations of homes, Girl Scout camp
Jun 17, 2018, 9:45 AM
PROVO, Utah – South Fork Fire in Provo Canyon was estimated at 75 acres Sunday morning.
Utah Fire tweeted the update writing that crews achieved 25 percent containment Saturday night, and were back on the mountain Sunday morning working for full containment. Two helicopters, three engines, two crews, and 70 personnel in total are working to put out the flames. South Fork Road remained closed Sunday.
Two homes and a Girl Scouts camp were evacuated Saturday after a fast-moving wildfire broke out near Provo Canyon Saturday afternoon. The South Fork Fire had spread more than 50 acres and was estimated to be zero to 10 percent contained.
Dave Vickers, the Utah Division of Natural Resources Wasatch Front Fire Management Officer, said the fire around 5:00 Saturday afternoon started after an explosion at a residential pump house. Firefighters evacuated people from that house and another that was threatened. They also evacuated more than 200 Girl Scouts from the nearby Trefoil Ranch.
Through Saturday evening, firefighters on the ground as well as several airplanes and helicopters battled the flames that rushed up the steep slope and over the top. Firefighters called in more resources to fight the fire Sunday.
“Right now, the big concern is to make it through the night without any significant wind events, downslope winds during the night, those kind of things. We’re going to bring crews off the hill tonight, but we’ll leave crews around the structures down in the canyon so there will be resources here all night,” Vickers said.
There have been no reports of injuries.
