10,000 acres burned by Deer Creek Fire near Old La Sal

The Deer Creek Fire in old La Sal has grown to 10,000 acres and is zero-percent contained.
Despite that fire officials are reporting that they are making progress during typical weather conditions. With an emphasis that Firefighter and public safety continue to be the top priority.
Sunday’s typical weather and milder winds, and a boost in firefighting resources provided an opportunity to strengthen firelines and begin extinguishing pockets of heat on the southwestern portion of the fire.
The head of the fire is on the north side and Sunday some strong terrain-driven winds pushed the fires through the Hangdog Creek area.
As the fire burned up into a scar from a 2002 fire; intensity was reduced and air support was able to drop water and retardant on the flames.
Fire crews also reported the southern edge was less active with the fire continuing to remain north of Highway 46.
The Great Basin Complex Incident Management Team assumed command of the fire on Sunday morning.
Saturday truly was a day with erratic behavior including a vortex forming over the fire. That event put flames high into the air and caused additional structure damage in the area, as well as a BLM fire engine that sustained damage and was pulled from operations for repairs. No one was hurt during the event.
Firefighters anticipate this morning that the fire would continue to push north in the timber.
At least five primary structures have been lost with 10 damaged and 80 primary structures threatened.
An informational meeting was held by the incident command team at the La Sal Community Center on Sunday evening with an estimated 125 people in attendance.
Evacuation orders are in place for residents north of Highway 46, between Upper 2 Mile Road and the Utah-Colorado state line.
Monday’s weather conditions are in the mid to upper 80’s and daytime relative humidity at 10 to 15 percent weather conditions will be hot and dry. The forecast includes the possibility of gusty winds early in the day and a slight chance of thunderstorms Tuesday through Thursday.
Deer Creek’s incident meteorologist noted Friday and Saturday offer some of the first chances of wetting rain.
The cause of the fire which started the afternoon of July 10 is still under investigation.
300 personnel are fighting the flames including five helicopters, 15 engines, five dozers and five crews. Officials have put an estimated containment date of July 27.
With heavy traffic anticipated along Highway 46 the public is encouraged to turn on their headlights and travel with caution through the area.
San Juan County has shared they’ve seen numerous requests from people ready to provide donations and aid.
The County shares they are not accepting direct donations at this time but are working with local leaders to identify specific needs and will share donation details as they become available.
Additionally, there have been offers of snacks for firefighters, but for safety reasons only store-bought pre-packaged items can be accepted.
Donations of money can be given to the American Red Cross Broad Support for Utah Disaster Readiness and Response Efforts.
They share while funding cannot be designated exclusively to a specific incident, all contributions will support disaster relief efforts in the region, including preparedness and response across county lines.
Those wishing to support the Red Cross’s disaster relief efforts can donate at RedCross.org/Give or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
San Juan County shared they will provide additional donation details as they become available.