Yellow Lake Fire forces closure of SR 35 for several days
Sep 30, 2024, 4:42 PM | Updated: 7:04 pm
TIMBER LAKES, Wasatch County — A major wildfire in the Uinta Mountains has forced evacuations and closed a highway in Utah.
The Yellow Lake Fire started Saturday, just southeast of Mill Hollow Reservoir, and was only 150 acres, according to Utah Fire Info.
However, by Monday afternoon, the fire had grown to 2,300 acres, prompting the shutdown of state Route 35 and an evacuation notice for the Duchesne Ridge, Mill Hollow, Wolf Creek, and Soapstone Pass areas of Wasatch County.
Sierra Hellstrom with the U.S Forest Service told KSL TV that the unusually high temperatures and weather conditions are creating more issues for firefighters.
“With the storm coming in yesterday, the winds had increased significantly. So we saw much bigger winds yesterday, which is what caused the fire to jump Highway 35,” Hellstrom said. “These unseasonably high temperatures put a lot of stress on the vegetation and the trees that are getting ready to go into hibernation for the winter.”
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Fire officials believe the dead vegetation and dried-out trees allowed the Yellow Lake Fire to spread quickly through the mountains.
“(The trees are) very stressed with these high temperatures and therefore susceptible to fire. And with the high temperatures and the lack of moisture that we received the last few weeks, that is the cause for concern for these late-season fires,” Hellstrom said.
Hellstorm said about 80 fire personnel are battling the fire, with at least another 20 expected by the end of Monday. One of their main priorities is keeping the fire from burning down any buildings and nearby camps.
“Obviously, we want to understand the impact that has on the community. So that’s one of our main priorities as well as the main infrastructure and is the YMCA camp,” she said.
The Yellow Lake Fire in the Uinta mountains as it burned through the fall forestry on Sept. 29, 2024. (Jenn Crane)
Until the Yellow Lake Fire is more contained or put out, Hellstorm asks visitors to stay away.
“We understand what a popular area this is to drive in. It’s a beautiful loop. It’s peak leave season and we understand the impact that it has. We’re just asking people, visitors, residents to avoid the area, especially that highway. We have a lot of fire traffic coming up and down,” Hellstorm said.
Officials report that the fire poses no immediate danger to nearby communities. Still, they ask residents to watch for warnings from the Summit County Sheriff’s Office and the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office.
The cause of the fire is unknown.
