All Snoqualmie Fire Evacuations Lifted; 117 Acres Burned
Sep 2, 2019, 10:18 PM | Updated: Jan 4, 2023, 11:54 am
LAYTON, Utah – More than 100 homes were evacuated after a fire broke out in an area near the Fernwood Recreation site in the Layton foothills.
Officials said all evacuations orders were lifted at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
#SnoqualmieFire All evacuation areas will open at 7:30pm this evening.
— Utah Fire Info (@UtahWildfire) September 4, 2019
The Snoqualmie Fire broke out between 9:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday night east of the intersection between U.S. Highway 89 and Antelope Drive, east of Snoqualmie Drive.
Battalion Chief Jason Cook with the Layton Fire Department said no structures were immediately threatened overnight, though flames did reach as close as 100 to 200 yards from some homes.
Cook said the fire was at approximately 250 acres with 0 percent containment. Utah Fire Info later amended the size to 117 acres.
#uwcnf #Snoqualmiefire located east of Fernwood picnic area, Salt Lake Ranger District, Davis County. Approx 117 acres 0% contained. Resources on scene 2 crews, 1 helicopter, multiple city and county structure engines and firefighters. Fernwood picnic area is closed. pic.twitter.com/MLG9NmZR0t
— Utah Fire Info (@UtahWildfire) September 3, 2019
Officials decided to evacuate homes overnight out of an overabundance of caution in case the winds picked up overnight, similar to the Gun Range Fire in Bountiful on Friday.
“Given the fire growth that we saw last week in the Bountiful fire, and the proximity to the houses we have here in town, we’re taking it very seriously,” Cook said. “Our big concern now is getting people away and getting our apparatus in a position to protect their homes and their property right now.”
Officials said around 100 to 125 homes were evacuated.
At 11 a.m., U.S. Forest Service spokesperson Kim Osborn announced evacuations were lifted on 1850 North, Maxine Drive, 3300 East and Boulder Drive.
Fernwood Drive, Fernwood Circle, and Snoqualmie Drive remained closed, Osborn said.
Evacuation centers were set up at the Mountain View Baptist Church at 2585 East 3000 North in Layton and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint building at 2680 East Cherry Lane. The Cherry Lane evacuation center was later closed.
Around 50 homes were initially evacuated as an abundance of caution. An additional 50 to 60 homes were evacuated after the fire began moving south.
Layton City officials added this map to show the evacuated area of the city while Utah Emergency Management’s Twitter linked to a Google map of the evacuation area.
The cause of the fire was under investigation, though Cook said there was no weather or lightning in the area at the time the fire began. There was a campground near the area, but officials said it was further south than the wildfire location. It was not known is the campground was occupied when the fire broke out.
Officials have asked anyone who saw any kind of activity in the area around 9:30 p.m. to contact the Layton City fire marshal or police.
The #SnoqualmieFire burning in the hills above Layton is estimated to be 35 acres. Evacuations are being conducted. #ffsljc Layton FD is PIO pic.twitter.com/MFwFKIX0Ai
— Utah Fire Info (@UtahWildfire) September 3, 2019
Around a dozen crews from the U.S. Forest Service were actively working at the scene, as well as 20 to 30 crews from the Layton City, Hill Air Force Base and Kaysville Fire Departments.
Officials were concerned about the possibility of winds overnight.
“We often see downslope winds that would have the potential to move this fire westwardly back towards the homes and back toward Highway 89,” Cook said.
Cook said there was some concern among evacuated residents Monday night after rumors or social media posts about damage to homes, but emphasized no structures had sustained any kind of damage.
Officials said their goals overnight were to safely evacuate residents and prepare the area for an air attack after daylight.
Several helicopters were expected to arrive on scene around 9 a.m. Tuesday. Cook said they expected the fire to be brought under control quickly once air resources were deployed.
As of 5 a.m. there were no reports of injuries.
Animal control officers were called to the evacuated area to help with pets, including some horses. All were moved safely to other locations.
