Sandhurst Fire 10% contained, evacuation orders lifted after intense efforts, Utah
Image credit: Utah Fire Info
A blaze that ignited on July 20, 2024, at Ensign Peak near Salt Lake City, Utah, prompted a mandatory evacuation order for residents north of Dorchester Drive and a voluntary evacuation for neighborhoods west of East Capitol Boulevard. By the evening of July 21, firefighters had achieved 10% containment and lifted the evacuation order. Despite ongoing containment efforts, the fire’s proximity to homes, infrastructure, and gas lines remains a concern.
Sandhurst Fire started on July 20 near Ensign Peak and was 10% contained by Sunday evening, July 21, according to officials.
Subsequently, Salt Lake City police announced the lifting of the evacuation order that had been in place for over a day.
“Today we had really good success on the fire,” said Ryan LaFontaine, operations trainee with the Northern Utah Type 3 Incident Management Team.
“If conditions on the fire stay the way they are and we don’t have any more flareups,” he noted around 20:00 local time (LT) on July 21. “We’ll be looking at potentially lifting that order at around 22:00 LT tonight.”
“After strong efforts by firefighting resources on the Sandhurst Fire, containment has been reached on the southern perimeter,” said Salt Lake City police at 22:00 LT on July 21.
“Fire managers feel confident the fire will not progress further towards the community. Therefore, they have recommended lifting the evacuations for the fire,” the statement added.
This decision affected the mandatory evacuation order for residents north of Dorchester Drive, including Twickenham Drive, as well as the voluntary evacuation of the neighborhood west of East Capitol Boulevard and east of Victory Road.
LaFontaine mentioned that overnight, operations would include staffing the fire with a team and several engines to maintain a presence and respond to any potential issues arising from the predicted diurnal winds.
Morning crews on July 22 will focus on reinforcing the southern and eastern perimeters, aiming to increase containment.
Throughout July 21, firefighters targeted hotspots on the eastern side of the fire, with helicopters and ground resources intensively addressing these areas.
On the western side, firefighters secured the northern ridge line near the communication towers on Ensign Peak and the southern flank of the fire.
Officials have not yet determined the cause of the fire, which the Utah Fire Info website indicated was human-caused without further details.
Authorities continue to request that people avoid the area, with trails on Ensign Peak, Tunnel Springs, and the Bonneville Shoreline Trail remaining closed.
“With fire engines, helicopters, and hand crews battling the fire, I’m optimistic we’ll make progress and the fire will not grow in size,” Lambert told reporters around 15:00 LT on July 21.
By the evening of July 21, minimal smoke and fire spread were reported. “Resources worked in from the perimeters, working with helicopters to eliminate heat,” Lambert said.
“We have engines and crews and three helicopters working in tandem to pinpoint areas with a lot of heat and engage them.” Brian Trick, public information officer for the Northern Utah Type 3 Incident Management Team added.
A total of 200 personnel are assigned to the Sandhurst Fire, with night and day crews continuing efforts to contain it.
Despite earlier estimates of the fire’s size at 162 ha (400 acres), the most recent assessment reported approximately 83 ha (204 acres). No injuries have been reported.
#Sandhurst is est. 200 acres & burning active Firefighters will work through the night w/ structure protection in place. Northern Utah type 3 team is transitioning with the initial attack resources. Est. 20 homes are evacuated. Air resources will return in the morning. pic.twitter.com/4Y0RJa21bK
— Utah Fire Info (@UtahWildfire) July 21, 2024
#SandhurstFire is mapped approx. 400 acres and 0% contained. Mandatory evacuations remain in place (see @slcpd). Crews worked perimeter overnight and saw little growth. Northern Utah Type 3 Incident Management Team took command of the fire. No structure damage currently reported. pic.twitter.com/4N84d8z3al
— Utah Fire Info (@UtahWildfire) July 21, 2024
Winds from the northeast, gusting at about 24 km/h (15 mph), are favorable for firefighters, helping to keep the fire contained in the canyon.
Winds may increase to 32 km/h (20 mph) later in the day, with directions switching to the northwest and then returning to the northeast by evening.
The evacuation order for approximately 40 homes near the Sandhurst Fire will remain in place for now, with reevaluation expected on July 22.
The fire’s proximity to homes, cell towers, radio infrastructure, and gas lines remains a concern, prompting continued containment efforts likely to persist until July 23.
References:
1 Ensign Peak fire evacuation order is lifted, with blaze 10% contained – The Salt Lake Tribune – July 22, 2024
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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