Fire officials say Jacob City Fire will cost $5.2 million

STOCKTON, Utah — In a meeting Monday night, officials announced to residents, the media and area fire departments that the Jacob City Fire would have a steep price tag. According to incident commanders for Great Basin Team 5, the fire is going to cost $5.2 million.

Incident commander for Great Basin Team 5 Gwen Sanchez said the $5.2 million cost will be shared between federal and state agencies and does not include follow-up work — some of which will come from emergency funds.

“Any damage that was done as a result of fire suppression action, the funding to be able to repair that is emergency suppression dollars,” said Gwen Sanchez, Incident Commander for Great Basin Team 5, speaking to locals at the meeting Monday night. 

Sanchez said over the next weeks and months they will know how much more the Jacob City Fire will end up costing – likely funded by local, state and federal dollars as needed.

“Some of the post-fire activity is also considered emergency work, some of it is not,” Sanchez said at the meeting.

Sanchez said they’ll have a better idea of what the final total will be when post-fire work continues over the next weeks to months.  She said members of Great Basin Team 5 will head out on Wednesday, July 20, and appreciate the kindness the community of Tooele has shown them.

The man authorities said caused the Jacob City Fire, Jacob Carr, has now officially been charged with a reckless burn and causing a catastrophe — both Class-A misdemeanors — in Tooele County court.

As of Tuesday morning, the Jacob City Fire was 93% contained according to Utah Fire Info. Additionally, Utah Fire Info says the fire is limited to smoldering and creeping. Crews were on scene Monday putting out hot spots on the steep slopes.

Mark Jones contributed to this article

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