Forsyth Fire Daily Update July 11, 20252 min read

From Tony DeMasters, Incident Commander Great Basin Complex Incident Management Team 2

Current Situation: Because of terrain-driven fire spread Thursday there was a 775 acre increase in the fire size on the southern edge. Crews were on scene through the night working where the fire remained active northeast of Burger Peak and north of Signal Peak in the deer flat area. The fire remains within the proposed containment line. Today the focus will be along the southern edge of the fire using aircraft and crews on the ground. Terrain-driven fire spread during the day and an inversion overnight increased visible smoke in the area. Along the southern edge of West Valley Burn Area and down to the middle fork of the Santa Clara River crews continued to build and strengthen containment lines. Firefighters continue to monitor containment lines around the Pine Valley community.

Weather and Fire Behavior: Yesterday winds flowed down the canyons south of Pine Valley allowing fire to move into unburned fuels, resulting in increased smoke across the fire. Hot, dry weather, conducive to increased fire behavior. Today will bring another day of hot, dry unstable conditions. Last night was very poor relative humidity recovery that only reached 22 – 28% after being in single digits Thursday. The relative humidity is expected to be back in single digits around noon today after the inversion lifts around 9 a.m. with upslope winds that should be less than yesterday.

Evacuations and Closures: Stage 1 fire restrictions remain in Washington, Iron, and surrounding counties. A Forest Closure Order is in place for the Pine Valley Ranger District; information can be found on the Dixie National Forest website. The communities of Pine Valley, Grass Valley, and Gray’s Ranch are now in “Ready” level evacuation status, and Pinto is no longer in any evacuation status. For the most up-to-date evacuation information, visit the Washington County website. For questions regarding evacuation status, contact the Washington County Sheriff via the non-emergency number at (435) 634-5730.

Special Notes: Great Basin Team 2 is coordinating closely with the Dixie National Forest, State of Utah Forestry, Fire and State Lands, Bureau of Land Management and local cooperators to meet the needs of the changing fire conditions. Wildfires are a No Drone Zone. If you fly, we can’t. Every time a drone is spotted near the fire all aircraft are grounded until we can be sure the drone is clear of this area. Visit Know Before You Fly, http://knowbeforeyoufly.org. A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in effect in the fire area.