Press Release
AUGUST 8, 2018 UPDATE – This morning, Great Basin Team 4 took command of both the Coal Hollow and Hilltop Fires. Due to heavy regional fire activity, Team 4 will be in command of both fires to share resources and improve suppression efforts. Firefighting resources have established a fire camp near Indianola.
Fire vehicles will be traveling along Highway 89, State Route 6 and several other local roads. Please drive cautiously in these areas, particularly in the early morning and late evening hours when crews are driving between the fires and the fire camp. Drive with lights on due to heavy smoke that may settle in the valleys.
Accurate perimeter mapping has not yet been conducted since yesterday’s significant fire activity. Updated acreages and maps will be available later today. Today, skies will be sunny with no chance of precipitation. Temperatures will be in the low 90s and relative humidity will drop to the teens. Winds will start from the northwest, changing to west-northwest winds later in the afternoon and brining gusts up 18 miles per hour.
COMMUNITY MEETING: The Incident Management Team will hold a community meeting Thursday, August 9, at 7 PM, at a location yet to be determined. Fire officials and local land managers will provide information on the fires and answer questions from the public.
COAL HOLLOW FIRE – https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/
Location: 11 miles northeast of Price, Utah
| Start Date |
Cause | Size (acres) |
Percent Containment | Crews | Engines | Helicopters | Total Personnel |
| 8/4 | Lightning | est. 3,500 | 0% | 3 | 9 | 3 | 147 |
Current Situation: Fire activity increased significantly yesterday afternoon on all flanks of the fire. Up canyon winds moved the fire primarily to the east and across Dairy Fork Road. Firefighting resources continue to monitor all values at risk. Today, limiting fire spread north towards the State Route 6 corridor is the priority. The Team is working with area utility companies as well as local law enforcement in the event the fire gets closer to State Route 6. If you are traveling through the area, do not stop along the road. Right now, Lake Fork Road, Clear Creek Road, and Dairy Fork Roads are all closed; the Manti-La Sal National Forest is expanding that closure today to include Fish Creek and Skyline Roads.
HILL TOP FIRE – https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/
Location: 15 miles north of Mt. Pleasant, Utah
| Start Date |
Cause | Size (acres) |
Percent Containment | Crews | Engines | Helicopters | Total Personnel |
| 8/6 | Human | est. 1,400 | 12% | 3 | 17 | 1 | 168 |
Current Situation: Yesterday, dozers constructed fireline on the northern portion of the fire, where the fire is closest to structures. Evacuations are still in place by Sanpete County Sheriff’s Office. The fire increased in activity late in the afternoon, and airtankers completed several retardant drops on the northern flank of the fire. Around 8 p.m., once temperatures began to decrease, firefighters conducted a burnout in the northeast corner to reduce fuels and more effectively contain the perimeter. The fire is currently holding along privately-owned fields on the northeast and southeast sides. The fire was most active on the south and east sides.