Saddle Fire – May 13, 2020

Contact: Kait Webb (385) 249-6696

Saddle Fire – May 13, 2020

The human-caused Saddle Fire is estimated to be 630 acres and firefighters have secured 15 percent containment. The fire is located in the Dutch Hollow area within Wasatch Mountain State Park near Midway. Yesterday, crews and dozers were able to establish a good anchor point and made progress building containment lines along the East and West flakes of the fire perimeter. The Type 3 incident is being managed by the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands.

Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office officials called the fire suspicious and late Tuesday announced that a juvenile had been apprehended in connection to the recent fires near the Interlaken and Pine Canyon areas, in the state park. The investigation is on-going and further information can be found on the Wasatch County Facebook page.

Nine homes remain evacuated as a precaution. County officials will reevaluate the evacuation order this afternoon. Wasatch Mountain State Park has closed the Dutch Hollow Trail System, along with The Phosphate and The Face trails until further notice.

Erratic winds from potential thunderstorms today paired with steep terrain and limited access pose challenges for firefighters. Fire managers plan to adjust their operational tactics in response to the shift in wind direction expected today. Aircraft and two additional crews will arrive to support the incident today. Firefighters will continue to work towards containment.

Local law enforcement will be posted at the two access roads into the fire, Dutch Hollow Road and Interlaken Drive, to help ensure firefighter safety. The public is reminded not to fly drones near the fire area as they can pose a significant risk to firefighters and hinder suppression operations. Unfortunately, donations from the public cannot be accepted given current health concerns.

Updates on the Saddle Fire can be found on the Utahwildfire Twitter account and the UtahFireInfo Facebook page.

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