Officials give final update on Willard Peak Fire, closures remain in place

NORTH OGDEN, Utah (ABC4) — Utah Interagency Fire has released a final update on the Willard Peak Fire, which began Aug. 13 and caused evacuations in North Ogden.

“Thanks to the hard work of the firefighters, management of the fire transitioned to a Local Type 4 team this morning,” Sunday’s incident update states. “Crews will continue to patrol the area and address any hotspots. They will also implement recommendations for rehabilitation.”

Fire behavior has significantly reduced in the area, officials said, allowing some crews working the fire to be released. Residents can expect to see crews continue working locally until fire managers are confident that there is no longer a threat to the community.

Courtesy of Utah Fire Info

The area and trails remain closed. Officials said this is mainly due to continued danger of hotspots and rollout of loose rocks due to loss of vegetation and suppression efforts.

“Residents should be aware that 100% containment will likely not be reached for some time due to the steep rugged, and rocky terrain along the ridge,” officials said. “Many of the existing heat sources are in the cliffs, and unreachable by ground crews and aircraft.”

Locals can still expect to see visible smoke within the fire perimeter. Please do not report to authorities, officials said.

“We appreciate the hard work of firefighters, initial attack resources, local firefighting agencies, emergency management services, and the Northern Utah Type 3 Incident Management Team,” the update states.

The fire is mapped at 577 acres with 56% containment. This will be the last update for the Willard Peak Fire unless significant changes occur, officials said.

No further information is available at this time.