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Parleys Canyon Fire Updates for Sunday, August 15

wildfiretoday.com

  

8:40 pm: According to Utah Fire Info, the fire was 10% contained after a day spent battling. An infrared flight was requested for overnight to map today's new acreage. Summit County Sheriff's officials expected a more detailed update mid-morning Monday. More than 6,000 residents are still unable to return to their homes as  firefighters are dropping water and spreading fire retardant chemicals by air. 

3:15pm: Any change in containment will likely not be known until the end of the day, according to Sierra Hellsrom, the public information officer on the scene.  She says there hasn't been much fire activity Sunday, but things could change during the hottest part of the day. A Type 2 firefighting team will take over tomorrow due to the complexity of the fire and threat to nearby structures. Hellstrom said the nearest structure is still less than a mile away from the fire.  Traffic is flowing in the eastbound lanes on I-80 next to the fire site. 

2:00pm: Lt. Andrew Wright from the Summit County Sheriff's Office says he expects the mandatory evacuation will go through Tuesday morning. The fire is still 0% contained and the closest structure is a half mile away.

Update 11:15am: Summit County officials now say aerial reconnaissance has mapped the Parleys Canyon Fire at 619 acres. No homes are threatened.

10:00am: Firefighters say there was minimal activity on the Parleys Canyon Fire overnight Saturday.  No structures have burned and no injuries have been reported.  

As of Sunday morning, the fire is estimated to be 1,500 acres, down from the 2,500 - 3,000 acres firefighters reported Saturday.  According to Sierra Hellstrom with the Northern Utah Interagency Type 3 Team, ground crews could measure the area better after smoke cleared Saturday night thanks to calmer winds, cooler temperatures and higher humidity.  

Hellstrom said the biggest concern Sunday for firefighters are canyon winds, which could push the fire over the ridgeline into the Summit Park neighborhood.  

Summit Park and Pinebrook residents remain under a mandatory evacuation order Sunday. Hellstrom said they likely won't be allowed back to their homes until Monday at the earliest. Firefighters worry hot embers could soar as far as two miles away and spark new fires.  Derek Siddoway, Communication and Public Engagement Director for Summit County said Saturday evening that the closest structure to the Parleys Canyon Fire is about three-quarters of a mile away.

About 10,000 residents live in the mandatory evacuation order.  The American Red Cross has set up a evacuation center and shelter at Park City High School, 1750 Kearns Boulevard. According to Community Engagement Manager for Park City Municipal, Linda Jager, a few evacuees spent the night indoors and in their campers in the parking lot. The Summit County Sheriff's office said evacuated residents who want to retrieve personal belongings from their homes can go to evacuation checkpoints Sunday to sign in and then make a quick trip to their homes. They caution aircraft can't drop fire retardant on the flames when there are people in the area, which is why it's important to stay out of the evacuation zone.

Both Jager and Hellstrom say several residents have reached out to help firefighters and residents, and the best way to assist those impacted by the fire is to donate to the American Red Cross, which will help residents recoup financial losses due to the fire.