Huntsman views fires' wrath
Kolob, Jarvis blazes proof that state is 'a veritable tinderbox'
"It was absolutely breathtaking to see the destruction in the area," Huntsman said after a helicopter ride over the Kolob fire, which has so far burned more than 17,000 acres in Zion National Park and adjacent public lands. "I would just give a word of caution to all that we are in a veritable tinderbox. I can't say it in strong enough terms. We must be ever vigilant."
A Type II Incident Management Team took over management of the Kolob fire Monday morning, and several hundred firefighters will arrive in the next day or two. An incident command post was set up at LaVerkin Elementary School, with room available for fire crews to set up tents in a nearby city park.
Jerry Brunner, incident commander of the Kolob fire, said about 160 firefighters are already in place along with a specialized crew that rappels into remote locations from helicopters. Thirteen fire engines, three helicopters, two tactical air traffic controllers, five single-engine air tankers and three water tenders are assisting hand crews in battling the blaze.
Fighting the advancing wildfire is a top priority since dozens of summer cabins are in its potential path, said Dean Cox, Washington County's emergency services director.
"I've been up on Kolob all day and it's pretty spectacular," Cox said as he drove down Kolob Terrace Road, which is now closed to traffic except fire-related vehicles. "We talked with everybody we could find and invited them not to stay up there if they don't have to."
Cox said people living or vacationing in the Kolob area have been put on notice that a mandatory evacuation could be called for if the fire turns in their direction.
"The fire is burning over the next ridge, but it still has the potential to come this way," he noted.
A total of 13 backcountry trails along Kolob Terrace Road remain closed due to the fire, including the popular Left Fork that leads to the Subway trail, said Anne Stanworth of the Color Country Interagency Fire Management Center.
While the cause of the fire is still under investigation, fire officials said Monday they believe it was caused by humans.
So far, fire losses include one Ford pick-up truck, two 100-foot-long generator buildings, a dog run and kennel, and a horse trailer and arena located at a canyon ranch along Kolob Terrace Road.
A second wildfire burning about 10 miles southwest of St. George has blackened more than 33,000 acres, including a communications tower and several power lines. The Jarvis fire is burning on critical desert habitat lands in Washington County and a Type II Fire Management Team is setting up an incident command post at Snow Canyon Middle School in Santa Clara. The cause of the fire is under investigation, Stanworth said.
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