Garfield County officials report progress on 23,000‑acre Blue Fly/Wilson Canyon fire; campground saved
Loading...
Summary
Fire managers told county commissioners the Blue Fly/Wilson Canyon wildfire has burned a little over 23,000 acres but crews have secured lines and saved Kings Creek Campground; officials warned smoke and gusty afternoon winds remain hazards and outlined traffic and base‑camp plans for the Balloon Festival.
County commissioners heard an update on the Blue Fly/Wilson Canyon wildfire that is currently just over 23,000 acres and still driven by gusting winds that complicate suppression.
A fire representative told the commission that crews had established building and hand lines from Wilson Ranch through Blue Fly and planned to secure a control line to Tropic Reservoir and Highway 12 if spotting toward Wilson Peak occurs. Incident managers said they conducted burnouts near Kings Creek Campground “to save that campground” and reported those structures remained safe.
Debbie Cady, a Great Basin Team liaison who said she coordinates with stakeholders and cooperators, told the commission she is the contact point for local questions and concerns and that the incident management team is meeting with park and sheriff’s staff to manage contingencies and public safety.
The panel described operational limits: aircraft use was curtailed under red‑flag conditions and engines and crews worked from ground water sources dubbed the Warner dip, a spring‑fed draw near Warner Ranch. The county asked about post‑fire flooding and erosion; fire staff said erosion is possible for some non‑fish‑bearing streams (Badger, Skunk) and that monsoon rainfall will determine how much sediment is mobilized.
Officials warned residents about smoke impacts. Commissioners and staff discussed traffic handling for the Balloon Festival: the incident command will establish a base camp at Wally Dodds Field during festival operations and is coordinating with law enforcement for temporary escorts and parking controls to limit congestion and safety risks.
Commissioners also discussed salvage and recovery: local sawmills have expressed interest in salvaging fire‑affected timber next spring once the fire is declared out and it is safe for resource removal. Several commissioners praised the suppression effort and asked staff to keep the public updated via the incident email list and sheriff communications.
The commission closed the item by asking staff to track fire expenses and personnel hours to support future reimbursement requests from state or federal programs and to continue daily coordination with incident command until the fire is contained.