Very Large Air Tanker dropping on the #GunRangeFire pic.twitter.com/yEYeg4sleQ
— Utah Fire Info (@UtahWildfire) August 30, 2019
BOUNTIFUL, Utah, Aug. 30, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — U.S. Forest Service officials have confirmed that the Gun Range Fire — a wildfire responsible for the destruction of three homes and damage to four others and the evacuation of residents of an estimated 400 residences — began with an abandoned campfire.
The fire started near the Bountiful “B,” a concrete letter installed on the mountainside.
Many Utah cities have letters marked on nearby mountainsides, intended to celebrate the city’s name or that of a high school within the city.
According to the Forest Service official, investigators are looking for two people reportedly seen near the campsite and associated with a small SUV.
The Gun Range Fire, first seen by a Bountiful Police officer at about 1 a.m. Friday, sparked a massive effort to evacuate a large area, fight the fire, and try to prevent damage to houses in the area. As firefighters from multiple agencies battled the blaze, police from nearby cities knocked on each door to alert residents to the evacuation, and to direct traffic as officials arrived and residents attempted to leave. A challenge to firefighters were strong winds that drove the flames down the mountain.
UtahFireInfo on Twitter noted at 5 p.m. Friday that the fire now stands at 365 acres and is 10% contained.
Utah Lt. Governor Spencer Cox visited the fire site on Friday afternoon, and talked with a man whose residence was leveled by the flames. Cox later tweeted about the experience:
“It doesn’t matter how many times you see the devastation of fires, it’s always surreal,” the tweet says. “This homeowner lost everything, but had the best attitude I’ve ever seen. He just thanked us and said, ‘My wife as been bugging me for a remodel, now I’ll finally get it done!’ #GunRangeFire”
Officials also announced Friday afternoon that the evacuation will remain in place tonight for several hundred area residents who live east of 900 East and north of 900 North.
