PINE VALLEY, Utah — The Forsyth Fire continues to burn in a rural area of Washington County, threatening more towns after destroying 13 homes in Pine Valley.
Earlier Sunday, Governor Spencer Cox toured the destruction as firefighters worked to contain the blaze that has eaten away more than 5,660 acres.
"Those 13 homes that were lost, the outbuildings that were lost, that's a tragedy," Cox said.
As has been the pattern since this fire started last Thursday, the path of destruction increases as night falls. On Saturday night, winds drove the Forsyth Fire north toward the towns of Pinto and Green Valley. By Sunday morning, the winds reversed course, giving a reprieve. But by the afternoon, the flames were marching right back up north.
"There's still a lot of fuel potential there, so there's still potential for it to grow very large," Candy Stevenson from the Great Basin Incident Management Team 7 said.
While 13 homes have been lost, firefighters say they have saved many others. Officials also said most — if not all — of the homes lost were secondary homes, and that no families are permanently "displaced."
Pine Valley Fire Department Deputy Chief Mark Rose retired from the hustle and bustle of the Los Angeles Fire Department for the peace and quiet of Pine Valley. Then last Thursday happened.
"The difference is when I was in L.A. County, we didn't know whose houses they were. We never knew who owned these homes. And we would return back to the station and life as usual would continue," Rose said. "Whereas here, this is our second home and we know the people in this community and we can put a name and a face to the homes that were threatened and to the ones that were unfortunately lost."
Of the homes lost, two belonged to Pine Valley firefighters.
The cause of the fire is now known. Officials say even though it was a clear sky last Thursday, a lightning strike during a storm a few days before hit a tree that was smoldering. Then, when the winds kicked up, the flames did as well.
WATCH: Red flag conditions aggravate Forsyth Fire efforts; Community rallies around firefighters
The severity of the fire brought out Utah's Governor on Sunday.
"Look, the people of Washington County are hardy people. You didn't get here by accident, and you didn't stay here unless you could handle it. So they've seen worse and they can handle it," Cox said.
Cox said the fire would have been worse if not for deforestation efforts in the area the governor credited to both the Biden and Trump Administrations.
But he said he's not totally on board with a suggestion by President Trump that states wean off federal support from FEMA.
"If we do start to change the way FEMA works, we can do that, but we need the money," Cox said.
WATCH: Gov. Cox speaks to reporters after touring area of Forsyth Fire
The number of firefighters doubled to 400 on Sunday. They were able to get more air power and lay out lines of fire retardant, while ground crews used shovels and bulldozers to create other breaks.
The Pine Valley Chapel, the oldest meetinghouse still in use in the world for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is still standing. Yet historian and Pine Valley native Larry Gardner, 75, is still lamenting what's been lost.
"When you love a place like this, it's a tragedy to see it go up in smoke," Gardner said.
