Coal Hollow Fire Update – August 14, 2018 9:30 AM
Coal Hollow Fire Update
Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team- Dan Dallas, Incident Commander
Information Center: 385-448-0929
Hours of operation: 7 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Website: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6101
Email: 2018_utmlf_coalhollowfire@firenet.gov
August 14, 2018, 8 a.m.
NOTE: Public meetings will be held in Price today, Tuesday August 14 at 4:30 PM, Carbon County Fairgrounds, 450 S. Fairgrounds and in Spanish Fork on Wednesday, August 15 at 5:00 PM at the Maple Mountain High School, 51 N. Spanish Fork Parkway (2550 E). Representatives from the Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team, forest personnel from both the Manti-LaSal and Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forests, and cooperating state and county officials will be on hand to answer questions about the Coal Hollow Fire.
Current Situation: Divisions Q and J, in the east and northwest fire areas, burned most actively yesterday. Containing these areas would provide an anchor point that firefighters need to successfully flank the fire. The closure on Hwy 6 remains in place but was changed to extend from the junction of Hwys 6 and 89 (mile marker 187) to junction of Hwy 6 and US 191 (mile marker 229.) The closure will be re-evaluated late this afternoon. The railroad did resume operations. Currently all evacuations and closures remain in place but are fluid and subject to change.
On the north side of the fire along Hwy 6, in firefighters worked through the night and successfully constructed a line around the fire where it crossed the road on Sunday. Structure protection crews are developing plans within the evacuation areas as a contingency in the event Hwy 6 does not continue to hold.
Division Q, on the east flank, saw aggressive fire behavior with the blaze bumping up against Starvation Road, a point where firefighters are focusing efforts to contain the fire. Crews from less active divisions were reassigned to assist as aircraft dropped retardant and water on the fire to stem its eastward movement toward Soldier Summit subdivision. Structure protection crews worked to protect the Girl Scout camp and other structures, including Soldier Summit subdivision. This is expected to remain an active area of the fire today.
On the southern half of the fire, in Divisions T, X and Z, fire personnel reported little growth. In Division T, fire crews will work today to tie in fireline with Division Q where possible to form an anchor for firefighters to begin increasing containment on the eastern side.
On the NW side of the fire near Hwy 6, in Division J, hotshot crews further improved fireline and began firing operations to strengthen containment lines between the fire and the highway. These operations will continue today if conditions are right.
Weather: The chance of thunderstorms will continue through the day today. Expect any thunderstorms that do develop to move slowly, which increases the potential for measurable rainfall. With a fresh burn scar, it will not take much rain to produce debris flows. Outflow winds will again be possible from thunderstorms in the area gusting up to 30 mph. Inversions will be weak due to the overnight cloud cover and added humidity which will allow them to lift in the early morning.
Closures and Public Safety: Motorists will see increased traffic on Hwys 89, 31 and 10 as long as the Hwy 6 closure remains in place. These roadways are winding and steep and may not be suitable for some vehicles. Closure orders can be found on national forest websites at https://www.fs.usda.gov/mantilasal/ and https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/uwcnf/alerts-notices.
Fire Statistics
Location: 15 miles southeast of Spanish Fork, UT Start Date: August 4, 2018
Size: 22,137 acres Total Personnel: 629 Cause: Lightning
Percent Contained: 2% (decrease reflects increase in total acres. No containment line has been lost.)
Resources Include: 5 Type 1 hand crews, 9 Type 2 hand crews, 37 engines, 4 dozers, 7 water tenders, 6 helicopters, 2 fixed wing air tankers, 2 CL-415 Scoopers, 2 air attack platforms, 2 masticators and overhead/support personnel
