A man looks at the fire that broke out at the base of Mount Timpanogos in Orem on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020. Photo credit: Yukai Peng, Deseret News
UPDATE: Investigators have determined the Range fire burning in Utah County was started at the Orem Police Gun Range and was caused by target shooting. Utah Fire Info reports investigations are still ongoing and that the police officer who was present when the fire started is cooperating.
The City of Orem’s statement on the cause of the #RangeFire:
After close cooperation with State investigators, it has…
Posted by City of Orem Government on Monday, October 19, 2020
This story is breaking and will be updated.
SALT LAKE CITY — Wildfires in Utah County and Summit County continue burning on Sunday morning.
The Range Fire in Provo Canyon has burned 3,000 acres and is growing, according to officials. The fire is 0% contained, according to Suzie Tenhagen with the U.S. Forest Service.
Orem officials announced Highway 189 would remain closed throughout Sunday, with Sundance now under a pre-evacuation state.
On Saturday night people with homes at the mouth of Provo Canyon were evacuated. Tenhagen said those residents will be allowed to return today, but she did not mention an exact time.
No more evacuations are expected at this time.
Tenhagen said that, overnight, the Range Fire crept toward Nuns Park and Canyon Glen Park but did not cross Hwy. 189. Sunday morning, fire officials had structure protection in place near those parks.
There have been no injuries related to the Range Fire, at least not the type you might expect.
“We do have a little bit of ‘end of season fatigue,’ Tenhagen told KSL. “It’s been a real long summer,” she said.
Both directions of US-189 through Provo Canyon were closed on Saturday night as a precautionary measure, and at publication time Sunday morning, those road closures remain in effect.
The Utah Department of Transportation says southbound US-189 is closed at SR-113 (milepost 25). Northbound US-189 is closed at milepost 8 (800 N in Orem).
Motorists are advised to use I-80 as an alternate route to US-189.
On Sunday morning, Utah fire officials reported that the Fire Canyon fire in Summit County had burned 1,460 acres.
They said that Saturday evening fire suppression efforts had been successful with a burn out operation conducted along the heel of the fire. On Sunday morning, the Fire Canyon fire was 10% contained.
The Fire Canyon Fire is burning in Henefer, in Summit County. The South Summit Fire District described this fire Saturday as being “unpredictable.”
Firefighters from several agencies, including Park City Fire, Summit County Sheriff’s deputies, Summit County Search and Rescue, officers from the Utah Department of Wildlife Resources and the Utah National Guard were all discharged to fight this blaze.