Utah youth group evacuated from Idaho wildfire during pioneer trek
Jul 3, 2025, 5:26 PM
Generic photo of a wildfire. A youth group from Draper, Utah, was evacuated from a pioneer trek in Idaho after the fast-moving Garden Creek Fire forced them to abandon their campsite. (Canva)
(Canva)
SALT LAKE CITY — A youth group from Draper, Utah, was evacuated from a pioneer trek in Idaho after the fast-moving Garden Creek Fire forced them to abandon their campsite.
Roughly 250 teens and adult leaders were taking part in the trek when the Bingham County Sheriff’s Office ordered an emergency evacuation Tuesday.
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The sheriff’s office confirmed to KSL NewsRadio that the evacuation was prompted by the fire’s rapid growth and proximity to the group’s location near Sellars Creek Ranch outside Iona.
Twelve buses were dispatched to transport the group to safety. They later camped overnight in a field next to a local church building in Iona, where officials said smoke lingered in the air and ash fell from the sky.
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No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
What is a pioneer trek?
A pioneer trek is an activity where participants dress in pioneer clothing from the 1800s and pull handcarts to simulate the experience of early Latter-day Saints.
A spokesperson for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints confirmed that the group was not part of an official church-sponsored trek, but was organized independently.
