CARBON COUNTY, Utah, June 10, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — A pre-evacuation notice was issued for 10 houses near the Bear Wildfire on Thursday night.
A notice was issued on Twitter at 10:24 p.m.
“#BearFire info from Carbon Co. Sheriff’s Office: Pre-evac notice issued for 10 homes in northwest corner of Helper due to fire behavior/proximity of firefighting efforts. Sheriff’s office will provide updates. Please stay out of the way of firefighting efforts.”
Click here for updated tweets from Utah Fire Info, and here for Facebook posts from the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office.
An email issued early Thursday evening indicated firefighters were holding the Bear Fire west of U.S. Highway 6.
“Despite today’s high winds, which grounded firefighting aircraft, crews on the ground were able to hold the Bear Fire west of US-6 with successful firing operations,” spokesman Geoff Liesik wrote in a statement issued at 7:49 p.m. Thursday.
“An estimate on acreage is not available tonight and no containment is being reported. US-6 remains closed tonight from milepost 221 to milepost 230. A detour route along Emma Park Road and US-191 is still in place. The detour route adds about 8 miles and 12 minutes to regular travel and gives drivers access to both directions on US-6.
US-6 will remain closed overnight and into Friday morning, when the closure will be reevaluated, Liesik wrote.
“A shift in wind direction tonight has pushed more smoke into Helper and Price. Fire officials understand the increased smoke is concerning but are confident they can keep the fire from reaching Helper,” he wrote.
Incident Commander Jason Porter wrote that he knows the smoke is causing concern.
“I know things look bad with all the smoke, but the fire is still hung up high on the hillsides,” he wrote. “The smoke is just bending down into the canyon and the valleys.”
The northern edge of the fire is along Ford Ridge. Firefighters feel good about being able to hold the fire on the ridge based on the terrain and prevailing winds in the area, according to Porter.
The location of the fire on Ford Ridge is about three miles from Beaver Ridge and Beaver Creek. Firefighters are aware of the cabins and radio towers in the Beaver Ridge/Beaver Creek area and will make every effort to provide advance notice to property owners if the Bear Fire starts to threaten that area, the statement says.
Friday’s weather forecast is calling for calmer winds and cooler temperatures. Firefighters plan to take advantage of the change and look for opportunities to engage the fire directly.
