PROVO CANYON, Utah, Sept. 23, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — A new fire has broken out in Provo Canyon at Maple Flat, which is in the vicinity of Bridal Veil Falls.
While small, it’s already earned a name, the Maple Flat Fire, consuming 1/16th of an acre as of 8 p.m. Friday, according to social media posts by Utah Fire Info, the Utah Department of Natural Resources wildfire monitoring agency.
Utah Fire Info called the blaze minimal, located in steep terrain, likely caused by a lightning strike.
“No structures threatened. A helicopter dropped several buckets on the fire before returning to the helibase for the night. No smoke was visible after the bucket drops.
“Firefighters will hike into the site tomorrow where it is safe to do so to check for hot spots,” the posts said.
In initially announcing the fire’s start just after 6 p.m., Utah Fire Info referred to it as burning “above the Y,” referring to the mountainside with the large block letter “Y” for Brigham Young University on a slope facing Provo.
But Maple Flat is well east of “Y Mountain.” Nonetheless, one quipster on the website said the Y had been set on fire, and no doubt in reaction to BYU losing last week’s football game.
In its last update on the South Fork Fire, also in Provo Canyon, south of Vivian Park, and attributed to a lighting strike, Utah Fire Info said it was 50 percent contained at 23 acres. As may likely be the case with the Maple Flat Fire, firefighters have been choppered in for the South Fork Fire because of the rough terrain.
