FRUIT HEIGHTS, Utah, Sept. 19, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — The Francis Fire, on the mountain above Fruit Heights in Davis County, is now 68% contained, Utah Fire Info reported in a post on its website Thursday.
On Wednesday, a Burned Area Emergency Response team assessed the fire to determine the threat of erosion or runoff.
“Due to the extreme fire behavior and the steep terrain, there is a possibility of debris flow from rainfall. City, county and US Natural Resource Conservation Service officials met today to with the BAER team to strategize and prepare for the threat,” the Thursday post said.
Crews finished building a line on the lower two-thirds of the fire Wednesday, which resulted in the 68% level of containment.
Officials are cautioning that, although all trail closures from the fire will be lifted first thing Friday morning, the public is asked to stay away from the burn scar for their own safety and the safety of fire personnel who will still be in the area. The danger of rolling rocks, smoldering material, and other hazards remains.
Construction of the fireline was interrupted Wednesday because firefighters encountered people trying to access the closed trails.
About 55 personnel are still onsite, after several crews were released Thursday morning. A helicopter is available should it be needed, but most air resources have been released.
The size of the fire, which spread rapidly after it was first reported on Monday, has not increased since late Tuesday. According to the Thursday post, “Winds tested the fire and there was no growth outside the 365 acres.”
Some interior smoldering was found and was extinguished just inside the perimeter.
Smoke is expected to be visible from inside the fire area as the suppression effort goes on, the post says, but, “These interior pockets of fuel don’t present a threat for spread and are a normal part of wildfire.”
On Friday, the Type 3 Incident Management Team will turn management of the fire back over to the local Forest Service Unit.
Utah Fire Info said no further updates are anticipated for the Francis Fire.
