The fire remains 33,038 acres and is 30% contained.
Fire crews are being released as fewer crew members are needed to fight the blaze. At the height Sunday, Oct. 13, nearly 900 people were working to contain the fire. Now it’s about half that at 433.
Over an inch of rain and snow Friday helped fire suppression efforts. However, fire managers say there are still isolated heat sources on the fire's north side. Hot spots were also detected along the Duchesne River's North Fork and a few in the “donut hole” of slash and log piles in the middle of the fire.
Forest Supervisor Dave Whittekiend said during a community meeting Saturday in Kamas he hopes there will be more snow.
“Hopefully we'll get some real weather, as in feet of snow, that puts this thing to bed once and for all for the winter,” he said.
Saturday brought warmer temperatures which increased smoke but the fire wasn’t expected to spread.
A Burned Area Emergency Response team joins fire crews next week to assess the damage and recommend ways to mitigate landscape changes, which is important for water quality. Right now, fire crews are working with local Forest Service resource advisors to address immediate repair needs.
Fire management will transition back to local control starting Tuesday, Oct. 22. The firefighters will be stationed in Francis.
Closures in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache and Ashley National forests remain in effect but have been reduced. Highway 35 remains closed.
Pat Russell from the California Incident Management Team said crews are working to repair the highway.
“A couple guardrails got damaged by fire, some trees down, that kind of stuff. We're mitigating all that stuff so we can open that road up when it's appropriate to do that, and it's safe to travel on that,” he said.
The final decision to open the road is up to the Utah Department of Transportation.
Authorities will share more with residents at a community meeting Sunday at 4 p.m. at the Tabiona School gymnasium.
The human-caused fire sparked Sept. 28 in eastern Wasatch County.
