Deer creek fire containment increases to 17%, evacuation orders lifted in some areas

LA SAL, Utah (ABC4) — The containment on the Deer Creek Fire burning in San Juan County has increased from 11% to 17%, according to the latest information posted by Utah

Fire Info.

The fire has burned 15,819 acres, and crews say they have made good progress on the north and east sides of the Deer Creek Fire. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Officials say residents have begun returning home on Thursday, and many more are expected to return today as efforts begin in areas deemed safe. Evacuation orders are in place for Zones 1-4.

Zone 5 is under a ‘SET’ status, where residents have to prepare in case of an evacuation. Residents of Mountain Shadows and Hang Dog in Zone 6 will be able to return home starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Only residents of Peace Valley will continue to be under evacuation orders.

A checkpoint at Lower Two Mile and Highway 46 will remain in place to prevent non-residents from entering the area, according to the San Juan County Sheriff’s office.

According to the Montrose County Sheriff’s Office, pre-evacuation orders have been issued for Montrose Conty following the fire moving into the area on Monday. As of Friday morning, zones 13, 14, and 15 are under a SET evacuation notice. That means that residents need to be prepared to evacuate at a moment’s notice.

The Sherrif’s Office said that conditions in areas under a SET status can change rapidly, and residents do not need to wait for another evacuation notice to leave. Leave if you feel unsafe.

All other zones in the county are under a READY notice, which means residents need to prepare to evacuate. Residents who are older, have children, or disabilities should consider acting early if evacuating will take them more time.

Everyone in the area should be staying informed and alert, checking for updates through emergency services websites, social media, TV, and radio.

Fighting the fire

About 484 personnel are fighting the fire along with six helicopters, 29 engines and 11 Crews and five dozers. Most of the crews are staged out of four spike camps, reducing travel time to more remote areas of the fire and facilitating easier access to meals and rest. So far, the fire has damaged 11 structures.

Resources continue to be positioned on the west end of Paradox, where structure protection assessments are being made, officials noted in their press release.

Helicopters have been in use along the active north and east sides of the fire. Drones are being used to patrol the fire in areas where the terrain is inaccessible.

Travel alerts

Officials are warning anyone traveling along the Highway 46/90 corridor near the Utah-Colorado border should be aware of heavy fire traffic and the possibility of low visibility conditions.

County roads within the San Juan County evacuation area are closed to public traffic. Parts of the Manti-La Sal National Forest are also closed to the public.

People have been asked to avoid the area of the old airport landing strip in Spanish Valley so that the helicopters and crews can safely operate.

The Bureau of Land Management has issued a Temporary Emergency Closure that affects roads on BLM-administered public lands in the Paradox area in Montrose County, Colorado.