Pine Valley Blog

For Immediate Release

June 25, 2016, updated 9:00 a.m.

Contact: Saddle Fire Information (435) 590-2736 or (435) 680-0354, saddlefireinfo@gmail.com

Saddle Fire Information: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4794/ and www.utahfireinfo.gov

Saddle Fire Facts

Fire Information: Fire information is posted at the Central Fire Station, Veyo Market, Veyo Sinclair Station, Pine Valley Heritage Center, Pine Valley Post Office, Enterprise Sinclair Station, Enterprise Post Office, and the Enterprise Ace True Value Hardware Store.

Cause: Started by a lightning strike, June 13, 2016.

Location: Approximately 2.5 miles southwest from the town of Pine Valley in the Pine Valley Mountain Wilderness of the Dixie National Forest, Pine Valley Ranger District.

Incident Management: Bill Hahnenberg, Incident Commander with the National Incident Management Organization along with the Color Country Interagency Type 3 Incident Management Team.

Fire Size: 1,193 acres, as of June 25, 2016 (Note: one acre is equivalent to one football field).

Evacuations: Washington County Sheriffs Office has issued a voluntary evacuation order for the town of Pine Valley. Property owners are encouraged to be prepared to evacuate if fire conditions change.

Estimated Costs to Date: $2.9 million

Closures: Pine Valley Recreation Area, Dixie National Forest; Baker Reservoir (closed to the public); Grass Valley Road from Pinto to Pine Valley; Mahogany Bench Road; entry to the town of Pine Valley is restricted to property owners only. For information on the Dixie NF closures: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/4794/31098/

Structures: 500 structures threatened including homes and outbuildings.

Percent Contained: 5 percent.

Fuels/terrain: Heavy dead and downed timber, brush, surrounded by steep and very rocky terrain.

Fire Resources Assigned: 6 Type I Interagency Hotshot Crews; 3 Type II handcrews; 8 Type II initial attack crews; 20 engines; 1 dozer; 3 water tender; 2 Type I Helicopter; 3 Type III Helicopters; and 1 air attack. 530 total personnel assigned.

Injuries: 2 injuries to date.

Get the latest fire updates on social media. (Use hashtag #SaddleFire)

Twitter: @UtahWildfire & @usfsdnf

Facebook: www.facebook.com/usfsdnf

ADDITIONALLY.........

For Immediate Release

June 25, 2016, 8 a.m.

Contact: Saddle Fire Information (435) 590-2736 or (435) 680-0354 Email: saddlefireinfo@gmail.com

Dixie National Forest - Saddle Fire Update

PINE VALLEY, Utah – Firefighters were able to establish a perimeter around a portion of the Saddle Fire, in the Dixie National Forest, achieving five percent containment late Friday afternoon.

The fire remains at 1,193 acres Friday, but weather conditions kept it from expanding through the night in the conifers in the steep and rocky ridges of Saddle Mountain.

Much of the fire area is very inaccessible, with no safety zones and limited access. The incident management team is deploying firefighters where they can work safely and be most effective in suppressing the fire and protecting the community.

The 530 personnel on scene continue executing that strategy, which includes improving existing fuel breaks in order to protect the values at risk in Pine Valley and surrounding communities. Firefighters will continue to scout the ridge lines to find possible areas to hold the fire and keep it from advancing into nearby communities.

Property owners are still asked by the Washington County Sheriffs Office to voluntarily evacuate Pine Valley, limiting the number of people in the area threatened by fire. Fire crews identified 500 properties that are threatened.

Those that do not own property in Pine Valley are asked to stay out of the area. The Pine Valley Recreation Area in the Dixie National Forest remains under an area closure to all uses.

The Saddle Fire began June 13 with lightning on Saddle Mountain in the Pine Valley Mountain Wilderness of the Dixie National Forest. The fire started approximately 2.5 miles south west of Pine Valley, Utah. It is burning in heavy, dead and downed timber and brush and is surrounded by very steep, inaccessible, rocky terrain.

A fire information center has been established at the Pine Valley Fire Station. For further information please follow the Dixie National Forest on Facebook, Twitter, and InciWeb at http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4794/. Residents may also sign up for Everbridge to receive notifications from the Washington County Emergency Alert System by http://911register.com/. Those experiencing problems with online registration may call (435) 634-5700 for assistance.

FIRE BEHAVIOR: The fire remains most active in the Lloyd and Forsyth canyons, burning mostly in the downed logs and underbrush in the conifer stands. Fire growth will continue to the east, northeast and southeast in Lloyd Canyon with limited spread to the northwest and west. Areas with live, green oak and mahogany are limiting the spread of the fire.

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For more information on fires in Utah visit www.utahfireinfo.gov. Note: Get the latest fire updates on social media.

Twitter @UtahWildfire & @usfsdnf Facebook www.facebook.com/usfsdnf (Use hashtag #SaddleFire)