Willard Peak Fire reaches 41% containment, fire crews ‘comfortable’ with stopped progression

NORTH OGDEN, Utah (ABC4) — Fire crews have continued to work on the Willard Peak Fire, and today it reached 41% containment.

The fire is still 577 acres in size, and fire managers are reportedly feeling “comfortable” with the work that crews have put in to stop progression of the fire, according to the latest update from Utah Fire Info.

On Thursday night, the residents who were evacuated from over 100 homes were able to return home as the evacuation order was downgraded to “set” status. This means that it is safe for them to be in their homes, but they need to be ready to leave again at a moment’s notice if fire activity should change suddenly.

On Friday, crews dug handlines, creating a break in the vegetation to help prevent fire growth. These lines and nearby rocky cliffs should work to prevent additional spread. Helicopters used buckets to drop water and retardant on hot spots to provide support for ground resources. Heat and wind picked up during the afternoon, making those hot spots more visible.

Minimal fire behavior is expected on Saturday, but weather conditions can still cause some activity, with high temperatures and wind in the forecast. Wind is going to pose the greatest threat to fire suppression efforts, Utah Fire Info said.

Crews are going to stay on scene for the next several days, mopping up and holding established lines around the fire. As they continue to work, additional smoke may be visible, and officials are asking you not to call 911 unless the smoke is coming from a new fire. That way, resources can be managed most effectively to respond to any new fire starts.

Officials requested that the public continue to avoid the area and observe closures in order to keep firefighters and the community safe. “Homeowners should feel comfortable about the progress being made,” Utah Fire Info wrote on social media.

North Ogden Divide is currently open, but the city warned to stay off all trails in the area.

According to the U.S. Forest Service Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, the North Ogden Divide trailhead is closed. The Skyline North Trail is closed going north to Ben Lomond Peak, and it is also closed from North Fork Park west and south to Ben Lomond Peak. The Bonneville Shoreline trail is also closed for around 6 miles going north from North Ogden Divide.

What is fire containment?

There has been some confusion among the public about what fire officials mean when they refer to containment. Containing a fire means that the fire is surrounded by a fuel break (or a barrier that will stop or check a fire from spreading). A contained fire is not extinguished yet!

Containment is measured in percentages, and the percentages refer to an amount of the perimeter of the fire. If any part of the perimeter is considered contained, that means that fire crews are confident that the fire will not cross those fuel breaks.

“When we show containment, that doesn’t mean that the fire is out. What it means is that we are making progress. We are managing the fire and to the best of our ability, stabilizing the situation,” Kelly Wickens, Prevention Specialist for Forestry Fire State Lands, State of Utah previously told ABC4 in an interview.

Fire size also does not refer to the area where fire is actively burning; it refers to the total area that has been burned.