NORTH OGDEN, Utah (KUTV) — Fire crews have made progress on the Willard Peak fire, but warned residents that the fire is still active and not fully contained near homes.
The Willard Peak Fire burned more than 570 acres in North Ogden after it ignited on Wednesday afternoon. The fire reached 41% containment by Friday, with crews hiking the hillside to work on the blaze.
“Part of what we’re working on, especially of concern, is the area closest to the homes. We want to get containment, especially now that we’ve repopulated,” said Sierra Hellstrom, the public information officer for the Northern Utah type 3 incident team.
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Hellstrom said crews are currently building a handline and a border around the fire to contain the flames.
“Our plan moving forward is to continue to create that containment line. We want to button this fire up, as we call it, or create a perimeter around it where we’re confident that the fire will not grow,” she said.
She said crews will remain on the fire throughout the weekend, and air support will be available as needed.
Extreme weather conditions, including high temperatures and erratic winds, have posed a “continuous” challenge for firefighters, Hellstrom said.
“You know, we’re standing in a really grassy field right now here that’s really receptive to fire,” she said.
While fire officials hope to make progress over the weekend, they are reminding people that they should be ready to evacuate if the conditions change.
“Anytime you live near wildland areas, there is a potential for a fire. And it’s something people should always have in the back of their mind to be prepared for,” said Hellstrom.
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