Coming weather to ‘test’ perimeter of Yellow Lake Fire, now burning nearly 33K acres

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah ( ABC4 ) — The Yellow Lake Fire burning in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest was most recently estimated at a size of 32,919 acres, as of Oct. 16 — but officials say the coming weather may impact the perimeter of the fire.

“Wind, rain, snow, freezing temperatures and thunderstorms with dynamic downburst winds will test the fire perimeter,” the U.S. Forest Service said in a Wednesday press release.

As of Wednesday, the Yellow Lake Fire was about 29% contained, according to the Forest Service. While increased fire activity would lead to more smoke, officials said expected weather will help clear out the smoke.

A cold front is expected to move across northern Utah on Wednesday night, with light rain or snow expected to impact the mountains as soon as Thursday morning. Heavier potential snowfall is expected by Friday.

“While valley snow accumulation will likely be minimal, mountain areas like the Cottonwoods could see up to 18 inches of snow, with the Western Uinta Mountains expecting 12 to 24 inches,” ABC4 meteorologist Cedric Haynes said this week.

Fire officials said the “biggest concern” to fire managers was the northwest corner of the blaze, where “intense heat” was detected Tuesday night.

Winds were favorable near the southern perimeter of the fire, which was still intact as of Wednesday, according to officials. Overnight, crews observed “moderate fire behavior” and crews responded to a central, unburned portion of the perimeter.

“Three engines and a crew responded to fire activity in this area containing slash piles and logging decks (piles of cut trees that have been stacked),” the press release said. “Crews were able to save most of the logging decks, however, one was consumed by flames.”

Officials are continuing to prioritize and mitigate the fire’s impact on watersheds and water quality, with the Forest Service saying drainage control measures will be implemented.

On Wednesday, an “incident specific” Red Flag Warning was in effect over the fire from noon until 6 p.m., and western Utah was also under a Red Flag Warning.

Closures and evacuations

The Forest Service said Wednesday that all evacuation orders and closures were still in effect.

On Friday, updated closures went into effect for the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest and the Ashley National Forest , which were scheduled to be in effect until the end of the year unless the prohibitions were rescinded.

Mandatory evacuation orders were still in place for the North and West Forks of the Duchesne River, as well as the Granddaddy Lakes area. Those orders applied to all residents, hunters, and those participating in recreational activities.

Residents of Hanna were advised to have their bags packed and be ready to evacuate if required.

Cedric Haynes and Nate Larsen contributed to this report.

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