PINE VALLEY, Utah — With heavy rains forecast for southern Utah over the next few days, emergency managers are sharing concerns about burn areas in Pine Valley, the site of this summer's devastating Forsyth Fire.
"This is all uncharted territory for us," admitted Pine Valley Fire Chief Robert Hardy. "We've never had this kind of a risk level for flash flooding and debris flows, and getting people trapped.
The Forsyth Fire destroyed 13 homes and left over 15,000 acres of burn scars. There have been countless community meetings and work to prepare for the worst, which would come in the form of a major downpour that could send torrents of water, mud, and debris through the valley.
Those conditions may come soon, with a Flash Flood Watch set to go into effect in lower Washington County starting at noon Thursday and lasting through Sunday. Remnants of Hurricane Pricilla may bring three-quarters to over an inch of rain to an area that’s only seen around 10 inches the entire year.
Builder whose Pine Valley home survived 100-foot flames in Forsyth Fire says he built luck:
The newly formed burned areas create paths for flood waters that hadn’t been there before.
"Most of the culverts that go through town were not engineered for the kind of flows that we're anticipating because of the burn," Hardy shared. "They're only about half the size that they're going to need to be to handle the anticipated debris and water flows from a burn scar runoff.
However, Hardy says officials are confident that homes and buildings will be protected thanks to mitigation efforts.
Campgrounds and the forest remain the most vulnerable to possible flooding. The Dixie National Forest around Pine Valley reopened this week after being closed since the Forsyth Fire.
Washington County Community Wildfire Specialist Bridgette Butensky says it's difficult to know if Pine Valley will get all the rain or if it will elsewhere.
"Weather is not an exact science," she said. "They're giving us the idea that in the Washington County area, that we could see the potential for a flash flood or flooding. We want to make sure that Pine Valley is prepared, but Pine Valley is not the only place; any part of Washington County could flood at any time."
Butensky advises people to turn around, don't drown if faced with flooding, and "drive like you got your grandma in your car!"
