EUREKA, Utah — The Iron Fire wildfire in Juab County remains a threat to the nearby town of Eureka at over 31,314 acres as of Tuesday morning. Fire activity is active due to adverse weather conditions, including high winds, with officials saying some areas are seeing "extreme fire behavior."
The current estimate is that crews have achieved 9 percent containment.
Mandatory evacuations are still in place for all Eureka residents while the fire continues to burn northwest of the town. The nearby town of Elberta has been moved to "READY" status, which means that residents should take steps to prepare now in case an evacuation becomes necessary.
Officials said Tuesday night that they're conducting a "firing operation" — an intentional burn to establish a controlled perimeter — on the east side of the fire. People nearby may see more smoke than before, and maybe even active flames.
Public information officer Toby Weed said this operation will likely increase the total size of the fire by about 20,000 acres.
In a meeting Monday night, officials told the community that they hope to have residents back home sometime on Wednesday — but they couldn't promise anything as the fire behavior is unpredictable.
According to Toby Weed with Incident Management Team 3, the fire has been stopped around the homes of Eureka residents.
"It's looking pretty good," said Weed. "We've got that pretty solid. That was our anchor point, and we're working out in both directions, both in the east and the west flank of the fire."
Wildfire evacuees from Eureka — some separated from pets — wait for chance to return home:
There are currently no plans to allow Eureka residents to return home on Monday, but Weed added that it could happen in a couple more days.
A community meeting was held Monday evening at Apple Valley Elementary School in Santaquin.
At the meeting, officials from various agencies shared how they're keeping residents and their property safe, and assured them that they want to get them home — only once it's safe to do so.
One public information officer said there has been “minimal loss," and "everything is looking good in Eureka."
U.S. Postal Service employees also spoke, saying residents of Eureka can pick up packages at the Elberta post office — but not letters.
Regarding Tuesday's primary election, the USPS said if someone has mailed their ballot and isn't sure if it made it on time, they can vote in person in Nephi. They also said if someone hasn't mailed their ballot yet, it's too late to do so and they should vote in person as well.
One resident asked about a rumor they heard that a bomb squad was called into town. A public information officer told the meeting that this was true — however, it was because crew members found a box that contained what looked like a real RPG rocket launcher during firefighting operations. Out of precaution, they called in the explosive experts, who determined that it was a toy — more of an air rifle, they said.
Officials have also said they've had some incidents of drones flying in the area. They reiterated that doing so is illegal, it endangers the aerial firefighting efforts, and can even force planes and helicopters to be grounded.
Eight crews are currently assigned to the fire, with up to 402 personnel in total.
Incident commanders said no homes have been lost due to firefighters' efforts.
Along with evacuation notices, all road closures are still in place, including Highway 6 between Elberta and Eureka. Drivers are being warned not to go around barricades or attempt to return to evacuated areas.
"[It's] pretty much a miracle after what we saw last night," Utah Governor Spencer Cox said Sunday when visiting the Latter-Day Saints meetinghouse in Elberta, which has been serving as an evacuation shelter. "[Saturday] was a no-good-very-bad day for the state of Utah."
"We nearly lost the city of Eureka last night, but thanks to the heroic efforts of many brave firefighters who defended the city throughout the night, things are looking much more hopeful today," Lt. Governor Deidre Henderson added. "We are so grateful for them and are praying for their safety."
Power remains out for the town, and residents are not expected to be allowed to return to their homes for up to 24 hours.
Shortly after 8:00 p.m. Saturday, all residents of Eureka were ordered to evacuate by fire officials. The town's population is estimated to be around 1,000 residents.
"We're extremely grateful... that there's been no loss of life," said Juab County Commission Clinton Painter. "We had, like... maybe four of 5 people displaced here at the church. People opened their homes and allowed [evacuees] to come in."
The evacuation shelter is still in place at the Latter-Day Saints meetinghouse at 15331 South 12800 West in Elberta. There is another at an LDS church in Goshen.
When asked about the possibility of fireworks bans following the multiple fires in the state, Cox says while he doesn't have the authority to outright ban fireworks, he says he will work with municipalities who do.
"What I can tell you is this is not the year for fireworks," said Cox. "Let's let the professionals do that."
According to Utah Fire Info, the fire started at 10:45 p.m. Friday night south of Boulter Peak near Eureka. They say it was human-caused, but the exact cause remains under investigation.
Late Saturday evening, FEMA has authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs. The funds will cover 75% of eligible costs under the Fire Management Assistance Grant program.
The fire also spread into nearby Utah and Tooele counties.
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