Forsyth Fire impacting lives of ranchers in southern Utah

PINE VALLEY, Utah (ABC4) — The Forsyth Fire hasn’t just threatened homes, it’s also disrupted a way of life that families have known for decades.

Pine Valley is a tight-knit ranch town where generations of families have made a living off of the land. But as the Forsyth Fire burns through the area, many ranchers are facing both a difficult and emotional challenge.

Larry Gardiner, who lives in Pine Valley, says this isn’t just where they work. It’s where they live, where they raise their cattle and where they’ve built their entire lives, spending all 76 of their years there.

He and his neighbors have been working nonstop either protecting cattle where they are or moving them from Pine Valley to Grass Valley, only to have the fire force them to move again.

“It’s a hardship,” Gardiner said. “People were coming in yesterday, day before yesterday, getting their cattle here and moving them to Grass Valley. Then the fire went to Grass Valley, so they’ll move them and keep them out of harm’s way.”

The Utah Department of Agriculture said in a statement to ABC4 that there is an Emergency Disaster Relief Loan Program available for those who have been impacted. They are also coordinating with the Division of Wildlife Resources to help producers find grazing land. They say there isn’t much land available in southern Utah but are reaching out to affected ranchers in the area with updates.