As ground conditions improve, the fire perimeter will be reassessed, and the containment percentage will likely rise.
As of Monday morning, more than 33,000 acres have burned and the fire is 37% contained.
Fire crews are being released as fewer crew members are needed to fight the blaze. A week ago, nearly 900 people were working to contain the fire. Now it’s about half that with 395 personnel working the fire.
More than an inch of rain and snow Friday helped fire suppression efforts. However, fire managers say there are still isolated hot spots detected on the fire's north side, along the Duchesne River's North Fork as well as in the middle of the fire.
Forest visitors risk the chance of stepping into holes that could be smoldering beneath the ground which could cause serious burn injuries. It’s a common risk that firefighters are trained to be aware of, but not the public.
Forest Supervisor Dave Whittekiend said during a community meeting Saturday in Kamas that 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. Sunday was cooler and more rain was forecast.
Forest managers explained they are working to allow public access as soon as it is safe to do so. Snags, which are standing dead or dying trees weakened by fire and beetle kill, pose the biggest threat to public entry. Crews are removing the hazardous trees as they find them.
A Burned Area Emergency Response team will join fire crews in the coming days to assess the damage and recommend ways to mitigate landscape changes, which are 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 Saturday, 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.
The human-caused fire sparked Sept. 28 in eastern Wasatch County.
