U.S. Forest Service spokesperson Sierra Hellstrom said the fire received a light amount of rainfall Sunday night, but continues to burn in heavy timber.
Hellstrom said the difficult terrain is complicating firefighting efforts.
“One of the things that we’re seeing in this area is a lot of dead and downed wood," she said. "There’s a lot of bark beetle kill in this area, so it’s highly susceptible to snags and treefall, so it’s not an area where we can insert crews safely.”
As a result, Hellstrom said crews are using an indirect attack where firefighters will go in advance of the fire line and find natural barriers where they can create fuel breaks.
Hellstrom said 80 personnel have arrived on-site since Saturday and air support is being used to slow the fire’s progress.
The fire is burning in the area east and south of Mill Hollow Reservoir and has come close to a YMCA campground, but Hellstrom believes fire crews will be able to protect the area.
Closures in the area include Mill Hollow on the west side, the Soapstone Basin area south of Highway 150, Iron Mine Mountain to the east and the West Fork of the Duchesne River in the south.
Hellstrom reminds drivers that Highway 35 remains closed at MP-12 in both directions. She expects the road to remain closed for the next few days as crews work to remove fallen timber on the roadway.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
