Boys’ quick thinking prevents wildfire spread at Kolob Reservoir

VIRGIN, Washington County — Two 12-year-old boys are being called heroes after stopping the spread of wildfire when an ATV went up in flames on the north side of Kolob Reservoir on July 1.

Adam Seegmiller and Rawlings Turner, both from Sevier County, were visiting the reservoir as part of a youth church activity when they saw the flames. In fact, the two were being a little mischievous themselves and had wandered off away from their group.

“We were supposed to do canoe racing, but it got too windy,” Adam told KSL in a Zoom interview Monday. “Me and Rawlings just went fishing on the same canoe, and then we saw the smoke.”

The boys knew that something was wrong, so they paddled into action.

“I felt scared that somebody was either injured or someone was still in the flames,” Rawlings said.

Despite feeling scared, the boys remembered what family members had taught them to do when there’s a fire.

“We have a burn barrel in our backyard to burn our boxes and stuff,” Rawling said. “My dad was teaching me all about how they can get so hot and stuff, but certain stuff doesn’t work for it. The fire needs oxygen and fuel, so when I was thinking about it, the thing that puts out oxygen is dirt … dirt will trap the oxygen, so I thought just throw dirt on it, get it done and over with.”

The two used their paddles to throw the dirt on the fire and also used them to draw fire lines, which is something Adam learned from his uncle, who is a firefighter for Hurricane Valley Fire and Rescue.

“I started doing fire lines and then shoveling dirt, and Rawlings threw on his shirt,” Adam said.

In a video obtained by KSL, the two boys can be seen using their paddles, and Rawlings is shown using his shirt to muffle the flames. Retired firefighter Ron Allen took the video and said the driver of the ATV and the boys “did everything right.”

The fire department posted about the incident on Facebook, saying the boys’ actions played a “significant role in preventing the flames from spreading into the surrounding brush.” The department also said the ATV driver made a “quick decision” to move the vehicle to an area with “lighter vegetation” before exiting the vehicle.

The boys were able to speak to the driver as well as members of the department — both hailed them as heroes.

“(The driver) told me and Rawlings that us being there made, like, a huge difference,” Adam said.

“He kept saying thank you and that we’re the lifesavers because we brought the paddles,” Rawlings added. “We talked to a few (firefighters), and they kept telling us that we did a good job on keeping it down, and they told Adam that he was a hotshot.”

When Rawlings’ dad, Justin Turner, heard about what his son had done, he said it made him proud and grateful.

“Being in this smaller town, we’ve seen a lot of the fires roll through and Rawlings (has) grown up seeing the mountains burn down,” he said. “To see him jump into that and make sure it didn’t happen again … these boys will still have somewhere to make memories. It’s really awesome.”

With all the praise the boys have received, including soon-to-be badges from the fire department, they both said that’s not why they did it.

“It feels good, but I didn’t need to be recognized to know that I did something good,” Rawlings said. “It was scary, but I didn’t care whether I was getting hurt or not; I just thought, ‘Well, we’ve had fires enough, so might as well put this one out.'”

The boys were reprimanded slightly from their youth leaders for wandering off from camp, but both said they’d do it again because the chance to help another is something they’d both like to have more of.

“It makes me feel good,” Rawlings said. “It makes me want to help more people.”

“It encourages me to try to help out with people more,” Adam added.

Hurricane Valley Fire and Rescue reported no injuries. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The department also said with the wildfire season underway, “this incident serves as a reminder that early recognition, quick action, and immediately calling 911 can make a tremendous difference in protecting lives, property, and our public lands.”