JUAB COUNTY, Utah, Sept. 17, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — The Bald Mountain Fire, which is merging with the Pole Creek Fire in Juab County, has grown to 14,866 acres Monday morning and is zero percent contained.
The fire, which is seven miles northeast of Mona, began on Aug. 24, and was caused by lightning, according to an update from the U.S. Forest Service on Facebook.
An estimated 578 personnel are assigned to the fire, with more arriving.
The blaze is expected to be active again Monday, “especially where slope and winds align to push fire rapidly upslope,” the update said.
The update goes on: “Despite red flag conditions yesterday, great progress was made constructing dozer lines in between the fire’s edge and structures. Additional firefighting resources, including personnel and equipment, continue to arrive and are being assigned to assist in divisions on the Bald Mountain Fire. Due to the steep, inaccessible terrain and other hazards within the fire area, indirect fireline will be constructed in many places to reduce exposure and risk to firefighters.”
Another hot day with dry and windy conditions is expected Monday, the update said.
The public is reminded to expect heavy fire traffic in Payson where the Bald Mountain Incident Command Post is located. Evacuations and pre-evacuations remain in place for several areas in the fire vicinity. A list of current evacuations is available here.
The nearby Pole Creek Fire has burned 68,347 acres and remains 2 percent contained, according to the Inciweb website, and the blaze has begun to merge with the Bald Mountain Fire, bringing the total acreage of the wildfires to 83,213.
The Pole Creek Fire started Sept. 6 in the Mt. Nebo Loop area, and has been found to be caused by lightning.
The estimated date for containment of both fires is Oct. 1.
