This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Hot weather, gusty winds and tinder-dry conditions combined with rugged, steep and inaccessible terrain to keep a growing army of firefighters on the defensive along the flaring perimeter of southwestern Utah's 896-acre Saddle Fire.
Once more Thursday, a fleet of fire-retardant bearing air tankers and water-laden helicopters attacked the 11-day-old lightning-sparked wildfire burning on Saddle Mountain, about two miles southwest of the town of Pine Valley. On the ground, about 360 firefighters, aided by bulldozers, sought to shore up and widen existing fire breaks and dig new ones to keep the flames from spreading more.
The fire moved to the top of Forsyth Canyon Thursday evening and continued to spread.
Mike Ferris, fire information officer, said crews had a "relatively quiet" shift into early Thursday morning, with flames largely restricted to the unpopulated Pine Valley Mountain wilderness.
But Thursday's weather continued to be "hot and dry with temperatures climbing back toward record levels," Ferris added. "Winds will remain terrain driven in the valleys with prevailing south-southwesterly winds."
So far, no structures have been lost, though flames had at one point burned within a mile of some. A precautionary evacuation of about 100 seasonal homes in the Lloyd Canyon and western Pine Valley areas was lifted late Thursday morning, but authorities cautioned that the evacuations could be reinstituted if the fire danger rises. Officials called for voluntary evacuations in Pine Valley about 6:30 p.m. Thursday and said those who stay should be prepared to go "at a moment's notice."
The fire is less than a mile away from homes, said fire spokesman Bode Mecham. Officers will be working a night shift with the hopes of protecting the threatened houses.
Closures in and around the Pine Valley area remained in effect on Dixie National Forest. The Pine Valley Recreation Area also remained closed to all uses.
On Wednesday evening, as Gov. Gary Herbert visited the area to assess the firefighting efforts, Washington County declared a state of emergency, noting that up to 500 residences lie in the path of the blaze if it breaks through the lines.
During his visit, Herbert blamed illegal flights of remote-controlled, privately owned drones, which forced air missions over the fire to halt three times over the past week, for much of the Saddle Fire's growth.
Early on, fire managers had declared a 5-mile flight-exclusion zone over the Saddle Fire to allow aerial firefighting efforts to proceed. Due to the nature of the fire's rough, remote terrain, air assets have been critical to fighting the blaze.
"[The earlier] evacuations likely could have been avoided if drones hadn't interrupted air attack on the fire," Herbert stated after his visit. "That is completely unacceptable."
Drone flights also are illegal under state and federal statutes. Violators could face state misdemeanor or felony charges for violating the Saddle Fire's 5-mile flight exclusion zone, along with penalties of up to $275,000 and three years in jail, if convicted.
The sheriff's office has offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the drone operator from Monday's incident. Anyone with information is asked to call 435-634-5734.
In northeastern Utah, the human-caused Ashley Fire was 100 percent contained Thursday. It had burned 87 acres on Taylor Mountain, 7 miles northwest of Vernal.
Because of dry conditions in southern Utah, fire officials set restrictions for all of Washington County and lands west of Interstate 15 in Iron and Beaver counties. Prohibited acts include: building fires outside of designated pits and stoves, lighting fireworks on unincorporated private lands, operating a combustion engine without a spark arresting device attached, detonating explosives or targets, welding or grinding metal near dry vegetation and smoking outside of an enclosed building, vehicle or developed recreation site.
Tribune reporter Courtney Tanner contributed to this story.
Twitter: @remims