Goose Point Fire grows to more than 6,500 acres, 60% contained

Aug 22, 2019, 7:09 AM | Updated: 7:26 pm

Photo: Todd Phillips...

Photo: Todd Phillips

(This story has been updated.)

PAYSON, Utah — The Goose Point Fire burning on West Mountain in Utah County has grown to 6,500 acres, but is now 60% contained.

Screenshot: Utah Fire Info

Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands spokesman Jason Curry says the fire that began Wednesday afternoon was initially reported as being between 75-100 acres burned actively overnight.

Curry says this area in Utah County can be more susceptible to fire because of the abundance of “flashy fuel” that’s present. That fuel feeds the fire and helps it grow.

“It’s a location where there’s an abundance of grass, and fire moves aggressively through that fuel,” he told Utah’s Morning News.

An especially wet winter and spring, followed by a warm summer, meant the grass is now thick and dry which aided in the growth of this fire, he says.

Curry says there are plenty of resources on the scene and they have plans in place to fight any challenges that will come about today.

“The good news is we’ve put in some really good fuel breaks using heavy equipment between the fire and about 25 homes on the bench,” he says.

Dave Vickers with Wasatch Front Area Fire Management says the game plan for the day is to mostly fight this fire from the ground.
“Because of these fuels on this mountain, instead of doing a lot of retardant drops and a lot of bucket work, what our plan is going to be is to do it as necessary to support the boots on the ground. the main objective is to tie in the dozer line, ring the mountain, and do the burning operations as appropriate.”
He does not see any mandatory evacuations for the time being, although if the wind changes things could change quickly.
“The homes that have the most immediate threat we have fire trucks and personnel assigned.”
Vickers also said they now believe the fire was caused by machinery.(

This story has been updated.)

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Goose Point Fire grows to more than 6,500 acres, 60% contained