CEDAR CITY, Utah — A nearly perfect storm of weather-related events caused "significant damage" within the Dixie National Forest in southern Utah, forcing the Forest Service to shut down a popular recreation area.
Remnants of Hurricane Priscilla that moved into the area last week caused flooding along the burn scar left behind by this summer's Forsyth Fire, which grew to nearly 16,000 acres and destroyed over a dozen structures.
A Flash Flood Warning was issued for Pine Valley on Oct. 10 as the storm passed through the state.
"This is all uncharted territory for us," said Pine Valley Fire Chief Robert Hardy on Oct. 8. "We've never had this kind of a risk level for flash flooding and debris flows, and getting people trapped.
During the flooding, the Pine Valley Recreation Area was heavily damaged, with photos showing large trees strewn across the landscape and several roads destroyed.
Boulders and vegetation could be seen on top of washed out campsites in the recreation area, and a parking area was decimated. Flooding also washed out a paved location within the forest.
Sandbags have been placed next to a creek to prevent further flooding should storms move into the area in the near future.
The U.S. Forest Service said the Pine Valley Recreation Area will be closed out of caution for public safety, and that engineers continue to clear debris and assess the damage.
The massive wildfire was sparked on June 9 by lightning that struck a tree on a rocky slope and smoldered inside for 10 days before the first flames were seen.
