Beulah fire passes 4,000 acres, over a decade old dead trees threatening firefighting activity

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) — The Beulah fire burning along the Utah-Wyoming border has now crossed 4,000 acres and is still uncontained, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

There are about 462 fire personnel fighting the fire along with 8 helicopters, 13 engines and 9 fire crews. Officials say they expect a slight chance of dry thunderstorms over the Beulah Fire area this afternoon. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

The National Weather Service has issued a Fire Weather Watch for tomorrow due to dry fuel conditions and increasing chances for thunderstorms. Crews expect fire behavior to moderate, but erratic winds may occur near thunderstorms. 

Officials say numerous standing dead trees in the area are posing a challenge to firefighters. “In the High Uintas, beetle-killed trees have been dead for about 15 years, and the extreme hazard of falling, fire-weakened trees is preventing safe engagement of firefighters directly on the fire’s edge,” crews said in a press release.

Fire crews are now working on a more indirect approach to battle the fire. Firefighters on the ground are assisted by helicopters using buckets of water to cool the fire and contain the northernmost spot fire. Crews say they have built a solid contingency containment line along the Christmas Meadows Trailhead.

Crews say they have also begun clearing brush and vegetation around structures and along roadways throughout the area, and have begun to install water handling equipment and sprinkler systems. 

Today, officials say they will be working on moving their equipment to a place where they can remove fuels along the roadside to create a broad indirect containment line along the North Slope Road.