Show RI n nr tt 1 r i S kg N t 0 w P 1 alit alita alitt I a G fi b u 4 91 1 k a fa 4 e y ia a 8 47 DUMPING ITS LOAD OF a fire retardant on a blazing ridge-line ridge above Cart Creek is an air tanker based in Salt Lake City Six air tankers from the Salt Lake area were called upon to dump the chemical which results In coating the vegetation with a substance prohibiting It to The forest fire in the Spruce Creek and Cart Creek drainage area rea southwest of Dutch John Johnas as placed on n the contained list j f itte to te Monday afternoon after yarning out of control since sin early eady Saturday morning g. g The sparked lightning-sparked inferno claimed three lives and charred 1480 acres before fire firefighters firefighters firefighters fighters some from as far faraway faraway faraway away as Washington and Oregon completed a six and one-half one mile fire break around the blaze The fire was in the Flaming Gorge Recreation Area of the Ashley National Forest about four miles southwest of Dutch John near Flaming Gorge Reservoir and about 40 miles north of Vernal FUNERAL services for David Noel 36 Dutch John director of a Youth Con- Con receive oxygen The blaze in the Spruce pruce Creek and Cart Creek drainage areas claimed three e lives scorched 1500 acres of drought dry land and cost nearly a quarter of a million dollars to extinguish Three lives lost in I w Cart Creek fire fare F h J f jl w x aM LL t A Y t n. n iSa t Y r t p 1 a ar as r s t 5 MEMBERS OF THE UTE Indian Tribe firefighting team begin the mopping up action following three days of fighting the uncontrolled fire that scorched nearly 1500 acres In Inthe Inthe inthe the Cart Creek and Spruce Creek drainage areas Corps camp at Flaming Gorge National Recreational Area Gene Campbell 57 Manila a forestry technician and Dwight Hodgkinson 23 Vernal a summer employee for the Forest Service were held Tuesday and Wednesday Dick Heninger National Forest spokesman states that an investigation is currently underway and until the results of that investigation are released the exact details of what really happened and the cause of death will not be officially officially of of- known Their deaths occurred Saturday as the fire was building in intensity It was speculated they and other members of a man 25 crew became trapped by ten to fife teen-foot teen high flames Several crew members with the doomed three were able to race through burning sagebrush to a previously burned area before the flames converged on them TilE THE FIRE STARTED early Saturday morning when lightning struck an area of dried brush and grass Gusty winds caused the fire to spread to a forest of Ponderosa and Lodgepole pine B By Sunday the fire had increased to approximately approximately ap ape ap- ap proximately 1200 acres before the weather began aiding the firefighters in battling the blaze Heninger credits both the weather and the capabilities of Continued on Page 16 1 Forest I fire fire P I a i iI I i Continued from Page 1 the fire fighting crews in placing the fire under control He reports that the high humidity content dampened the flashy fuels grass and brush which are the real fire fuels If the hot weather had continued the fire probably would have spread to the south and caused real problems if it reached the steep country Fortunately the cool temperatures temperatures' at night the high humidity and the little rainfall we got helped us stop the fire before it ran to the steep country Heninger said Even though the fire didn't reach the steep country there were still areas that were tough to reach on on the part of the firefighting crews There were several cliffs that crews had to to reach hot spots which resulting in working among rock slides adding to the already present danger of fire A TOTAL of six helicopters and six air tankers or retardant retardant retardant dant planes in addition to National Forest Service spotting planes aided the ground crews in battling the fire Due to the smoke density spotting planes would locate the hot hot spots through the use of infrared cameras and lead the theair theair theair air tankers full of a commercial retardant to the dump site The would cling to the vegetation and coat it preventing it from receiving oxygen It was reported that a total of fire fighters remained on the line Tuesday morning for a up mop-up of burning trees trunks and other snags A total of still remained in the area as helicopters continued to drop water on some areas The bulk of personnel should be leaving the area Saturday at which time the Forest Service in this area will continue to keep watch The fire will not be declared out until 24 hours after the last hot spot is loca located ted and extinguished It should be several weeks before the fire that cost an n estimated to fight will be completely out |