SYRACUSE, Utah — A Utah family sits hours away, watching the Black Canyon Fire as it burns near Ephraim and worries about a cabin in Joe's Valley that holds five generations of memories.
Although small compared to the massive fires the state has seen this summer, the Black Canyon Fire at just under 3500 acres still threatens the Reeder subdivision of homes, where Wendy and Robert Rose's cabin sits.
Five generations of family have made memories at the cabin, and the Roses' granddaughter even gave it its name.
“As soon as she got close enough to realize she was there, she would just be like, it’s the Kevin, it’s the Kevin," shared Wendy.
"Kevin" sits in the Reeder subdivision, and when evacuation orders were first issued because of the fire danger, the Rose family packed what they could.
“At first we were just like, let’s take things that are irreplaceable. Quilts that grandma made, things that my dad did," said Wendy.
But not everything could come with them.
“My dad’s birdhouses," added Wendy, "they are still there."
And so is the cabin.
Protecting horse herd is couple's top priority as Rocky Canyon Fire grows larger:
Steep terrain makes it difficult to build containment lines around the entire fire, which is 0% contained, so firefighters say protecting structures comes first.
“We are using those crews to create those containment lines along cabins, structures, the Reeder subdivision; those areas become priority," explained fire official Juan Delgado.
Wendy and Robert are waiting the fire out at their home in Syracuse through apps, social media, and texts from firefighters. But no amount of information makes the possibility of losing the cabin any easier to talk about.
“It’s emotional just even thinking about it," Wendy admitted. "And it’s just a cabin, right? But it means a lot to us, and it’s hard. It’s very hard.”
The family said when the evacuation order is lifted, the first thing they'll do is pack up the children and grandchildren and head back to "Kevin."
