UPPER PROVO WILDFIRE – AUGUST 5, 2020
Contact: Kim Osborn (801) 710-3664
Start: July 31, 2020
Location: 22 miles east of Kamas Utah in the Murdock Basin area
Cause: Human Caused – under investigation
Size: 480 acres
Containment: 36%
Fuels: Mixed conifer and lodgepole pine
Closures: Murdock Basin road (Forest Service road #137) and Broadhead Meadows road (Forest Service road #416) are closed and the area around Murdock Basin and Broadhead Meadows.
*Mirror Lake Highway is open*
Assigned Resources:
- 5 Helicopters
- 5 Engines
- 2 Squads
- 4 Type 2 Hand Crews & 1 Hotshot crew
- 191 total personnel
Yesterday, the Upper Provo wildfire had moderate fire behavior due to cloud cover and cooler temperatures. Helicopters were busy supporting crews on the ground with water drops when one was pulled away to respond to an abandoned campfire in the area. The helicopter along with fire crews were able to knock down the fire before it spread to a larger area. Later that afternoon, firefighters were called away a second time to respond to another abandoned campfire. So far this year, Utah has had 916 wildfires of which 678 fires were human caused, that is 74% of all fires in Utah were started by humans. Please stir your campfire with a shovel and a large bucket of water and then stir again. Never leave a campfire warm, it needs to be cold before you leave.
