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LAYTON, Utah, Sept. 2, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — Fire crews are battling a fast-growing grass fire Monday night on Snoqualmie Circle above Antelope Drive and Highway 89 in Layton.
Mandatory evacuations are in place for nearly 100 homes.
Evacuation centers were set up at Mountain View Baptist Church, 2585 E. Highway 89, and at the LDS Church building at 2680 E Cherry Lane, but the LDS Church center is now closed, and evacuees are at Mountain View Baptist Church. The Red Cross also is on scene to assist residents.
Pet owners please note: Davis County Animal Services is at the LDS Church building on Cherry Lane to assist with pets, of any size, that have been evacuated because of the fire.
Areas being evacuated are all of Snoqualmie Circle, Fernwood Drive east of 3200 East, and Fernwood Circle, and all addresses east of Valley View Drive on Boulder Drive, Maxine Drive, and 1850 North.
Crews from multiple fire departments began arriving after a passerby on Highway 89 reported the blaze around 9:30 p.m. A little past 10 p.m., they said the fire was at roughly 30 acres and growing. By 10:30 p.m., Layton Fire Department Battalion Chief Jason N. Cook said the blaze had grown to 40 to 50 acres.
About a half-hour later, officials reported that it was at 80 acres and was expected to grow overnight.
Cook said the fire is being fueled by dry brush and clusters of scrub oak, and it will intensify as it gets into denser fuel during the night.
Wind has been a concern.
“Fortunately, the fire is above the residences, but at this time of night it’s not unusual to get down-slope winds that could push the fire down toward the homes,” Cook said. He added that crews have gone to great lengths to get structural protection in place, and at least 12 to 18 firefighters were laying lines in what officials are calling the Snoqualmie subdivision.
Firefighters also brought in extra water tenders to help supply water to the dry, uphill location, and Cook said they were rerouting water lines to ensure that they can get it up to the crews working on Snoqualmie Drive.
Crews confirmed they were dealing with a water main break in the area of Boulder and 3250 East, but officials later said they didn’t expect that to be a problem. Shortly after midnight, they had the water main break isolated and repairs underway.
The cause of the fire is as yet unknown and is under investigation.
Gephardt Daily will update this developing story as more information becomes available.
