Kyle Ekker, the Emergency Manager from the Emery County Sheriff’sВ office led the Community Fire information meeting held at the EmeryВ High School Spartan Center this evening at 6:00 p.m.
Members of the Incident Management Team (IMT), the Bureau of LandВ Management (BLM), The Utah Division of Forestry for Fire and State Lands, Emery County Sheriffs Office, and the Emery County Commissioners led the discussion topics chosen tonight at the Community Fire Information Meeting.
Jonetta Trued of the IMT discussed an overview of the fire map, andВ explained how fire fighters are currently going about keeping the fireВ contained within a 45 mile radius. В Officials have set an estimated date of containment of the fire for July 15. В Fire fighters haveВ currently cut two dozer lines, and there have been no structuralВ fatalities to date with this fire.
Dean Neal of the IMT briefed the audience on the current air operations and theВ different types of air craft brought to the table in fighting theВ fire.
Emery County Sheriff Greg Funk Talked about the current status ofВ evacuations, closures, and advisories. The only changes from the last meeting are thatВ Hiawatha has been reopened to residents only, and access to a coalВ load out facility at Wattis was also reopened.
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Patricia Clabaugh, and Jason Johnson of the BLM gave their remarks on the fireВ crews, and expressed their appreciation for everyone’s patience. “I want to thank you all for coming out and wanting to be a part of this,” said Clabaugh. В “I would like to give a big thank you to the team leaders that have been assigned to come and fight this fire. В Because of them we have the opportunity to give information, to be involved and to understand what is happening.”
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Commissioner Jeff Horrocks gave his remarks on the current conditionsВ as well. “Unfortunately a large portion of about seventy-six squareВ miles of our forests are no longer forests,” said Horrocks,В В “but we in Emery County really do appreciate all of the help that has been given to help fight this fire. В We have fire fighters from all different sides of the country, and most of them spent the Fourth of July here fighting to keep us safe. В I would like all of the guys who are working with the other members to please thank them for us.”
Overall, the meeting was mainly answering questions that citizens haveВ had leading up to tonight’s meeting, to help put the their minds at rest on such topics as:
Q: Are the air craft putting out the fire? If not then why are they here?
A: Yes and no. They are helping to В control the fire so the men and women on the ground can put out the fires.
Q: What is going to happen with the burned forest and when are officials planning on planting more trees?
A: The forest will be cleaned, and as far as the planting of new seedlings, the BLM is hoping to start planting as soon as the fire is out and there is some cleared space for them to plant the new seedlings.
Carbon County Sheriffs office is coordinating permitted escortedВ visits into evacuation areas for immediate needs. В If you or aВ resident of an evacuated area are interested, please call 435-636-3746В to request an appointment with an officer.
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