William Fire Update Sept. 14, 2020
September 14, 2020 at 10:00 a.m.
Location: 2 miles south of Santaquin, UT
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 1-435-414-9418
Start Date: September 6, 2020
Cause: Human caused, target shooting
Acres: 4,332 Percent Contained: 61%
Personnel Assigned: 197
Flight incursions from aircraft and drones force fire air resources to land, delaying critical support to firefighters on the ground. If you are a pilot you must check NOTAMs before finalizing your flight plan. There have been multiple drone and fixed wing incursions on fires in the past few days putting all involved at risk. A TFR (Temporary Flight Restriction) has been implemented over the fire area – which means recreational drones and private aircraft cannot fly over the fire. Details can be found here: https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_0_1623.html.
Remember, “IF YOU FLY, WE CAN’T.”
Current Status: On the north flank of the fire, crews are working from Eli Ranch towards the forest boundary to secure the fireline in that area. They will be mopping up hot spots in a swath 100 feet wide. Firefighters continue to identify and implement control actions in the event the fire moves beyond the uncontained perimeter. Alternate suppression tactics are being initiated in the steep, inaccessible terrain to ensure firefighter safety. Firefighters who hiked to the spot fire south of the main fire were able to locate the hot spot identified by infrared mapping and extinguish it completely. Three helicopters assigned to the William Fire and the Ether Hollow Fire will be shared with the Goshen Fire today if needed. Aerial missions will be prioritized among the three fires by the Air Operations Branch Director. There are closures on Pole Canyon Road and the Mona Pole Road (Forest Service road #600/#160) and details can be found on the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest website https://www.fs.usda.gov/uwcnf. We ask that the public stay away from the area for the safety of the firefighters and the public. Hunters with limited entry Bull Elk tags, please check your unit, be sure to stay out of the closure area. We aim to keep the public and firefighters safe, your aim will help. Weather: Today will be sunny, warmer and drier with some smoke haze. Temperatures are predicted to be in the high 80s with relative humidity in the low teens. There is a red flag warning today. Rollout on steep terrain can result in short upslope surface fire runs. Stands of timber, maple and gambel oak on northerly aspects and drainages have the greatest potential for fire activity today. There is a fuel and fire behavior advisory in effect for critically dry fuels through September 25, 2020. Fire information can be found on Utah Wildfire Information at https://utahfireinfo.gov/. Check out News & Events and ‘Like Us’ on facebook.com/UtahWildfire , and ‘Follow Us’ on twitter.com/UtahWildfire for further information.
