No Containment for the Rapidly Growing Bear Canyon Fire *Photo Gallery*

The incident command team for the Bear Canyon Fire, located four miles northwest of Helper, met on Wednesday morning at 6 a.m.

The blaze was ignited on Tuesday afternoon and has since burned 1,971 acres based on an infrared flight conducted on Tuesday night. There is no containment of the blaze at this time. According to reports, firefighters have been unable to build a containment line around the fire due to the fire burning in terrain that is too steep and rugged for a person on foot.

“It’s burning like what we would expect in our peak season, which would be mid-July,” Incident Commander Jason Porter said. “This kind of fire behavior is about a month early for us. It’s burning through north slopes that should still be wet right now.”

Crews are fighting the fire with air tankers in an attempt to slow the spread. A large focus is on protecting structures, as nearly one dozen structures are threatened at this time. There are two hotshot crews, six engine crews, an air attack plane and a helicopter assigned to the fire.

“Crews will also be in the Spring Canyon area today,” the Helper Fire Department shared on Wednesday morning. “Please be courteous of apparatus traveling in and out of the canyon.”

Helper City Mayor Lenise Peterman also reported on Wednesday’s early morning meeting, stating that crews will focus on understanding the fire behavior and protecting structures throughout the day. She shared various ways that residents can help the situation as she encouraged all to conserve water. “We will continue to provide tanker trucks of water from Helper,” she shared.

She also warned residents about the smoke blanketing the area, stating that it is likely to get worse, not better. “If you have any type of breathing issues, please stay indoors as much as possible,” the mayor said. “If you operate a swamp cooler, you will also be pulling in smoke. Be aware.”

The importance of avoiding travel on Highway 6, if possible, has been highly stressed. The highway remains open as of Wednesday morning, but travelers are encouraged to travel with caution due to impacted visibility. “Aside from firefighting operations and the terrain, our biggest hazard right now is the traffic on the highway,” Porter said.

Those wishing to sightsee have also become problematic for crews. “Firefighters had to ask several people to exit the area yesterday,” Mayor Peterman said. “This keeps our firefighters and you safe.”

Currently, there are no evacuations necessary at this time due to the fire. “We will continue to keep everyone apprised if that changes,” Mayor Peterman shared.

According to Utah Fire Info, the blaze began at approximately 1 p.m. on Tuesday but the cause is still unknown. The fire spread rapidly and crews had to disengage from the task on Tuesday afternoon, causing air to be the only resource fighting the fire. However, due to the number of fires, air tankers are being called in as needed but there are none specifically assigned to this fire. More crews and engines have been ordered.

“Fire behavior moderated overnight but remained active,” crews shared on Wednesday morning. “Today’s forecast calls for low relative humidity, strong southwest winds with gusts up to 35 mph and temperatures in the upper 80s. These conditions create the potential for rapid fire growth and increased fire activity. This weather pattern is expected to repeat on Thursday.”

“Please keep all of those folks actively working the fire in your thoughts and prayers,” Mayor Peterman concluded. “They put themselves at risk to protect you, your loved ones and property; let them do their job.”