Press Release
A small fire is burning in Dairy Canyon, a tributary of Cottonwood Canyon, northwest of Orangeville. The fire was started by lightning July 22 and was reported July 24. The fire has grown to about five acres and is burning in steep terrain among dead spruce and deadfall timber. Grasses and sagebrush in the area are green and damp.
Forest Service fire crews have assessed the fire and decided to manage it to reduce fuels, reduce risk of severe fire and allow new aspen growth. The fire has been assigned to a Type 4 Incident Command and will be monitored daily. Crews and equipment will be assigned to the fire as needed.
“There is less risk in managing the fire than suppressing it,” said Kevin Draper, Sanpete District Ranger. “This is steep, rough terrain with lots of snags. It’s not a good place to put crews if it’s not necessary. Our first priority is always firefighter and public safety. Currently, the fire is doing a lot of good, cleaning up dead and down timber.”
This is a slow moving, low-intensity fire in an isolated area. If the fire behavior changes, the Forest Service will change its strategy.
The fire is entirely on the Ferron-Price District of the Manti-La Sal National Forest. There are no state or private lands involved.
Although there are no fire restrictions on the National Forest at this time, visitors are asked to use caution when building fires. Never build a fire under a tree or in vegetation, never leave a fire unattended and always be sure it is dead out. Fireworks are not allowed on the forest.
For more information, contact the Ferron-Price Ranger District at (435) 636-3580 or go to www.utahfireinfo.gov.